Sayyidina Niyar ibn Mukram al-Aslami (RA) narrated: When the verses "Alif Laam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the land close by, and after (this) defeat of theirs, they will soon be victorious, within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after and on that day the Believers will rejoice, in Allah's help. (30: 1-5)
were revealed, the Persians were the conquerors of Rome. The Muslims loved to see that Rome overran the Persians because they (the Romans) were People of the Book like them (the Muslim). This is what Allah’s words concern:
"And on that day the Believers will rejoice in Allah’s help. He helps whom He will. And He is the Mighty, the Merciful.” (30: 4-5)
But the Quraysh loved the upper hand of Persia because they and the Quraysh were not People of he Book and did not believe in prophethood. When these verses were revealed, Abu Bakr Siddiq is recited (them) aloud in the surroundings of Makkah:
"Alif Laam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the land close by, and after (this) defeat of theirs, they will soon be victorious, within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after and on that day the Believers will rejoice, in Allah's help. (30: 1-5)
Some of the Quraysh said to him, “Let that be (a deciding factor) between us and you. Your friend imagines that Rome will conquer Persia in a few years. Shall we not wage a bet with you over that?” He said, “Yes!” and that was before gambling was prohibited. Thus, Abu Bakr and the idolaters waged the bet and placed the wager somewhere. They asked Abu Bakr. “How much do you regard the (bid’) to be between three and nine years? So name a middle period for us and you at which it should terminate.” So they named six years between them. The six years were over before the victory (of the Romans). So the idolators took hold of Abu Bakr’s is wager. When the seventh year began, Rome defeated Persia. So the Muslims asked Abu Bakr (RA) why he had determined six years. He said, “Because Allah the Exalted said: “in a few years.” Many people embraced Islam when that happened.
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