Account of the Romans:
Abu Isḥāq al-Fazārī narrated from Sufyān, from Ḥabīb ibn Abī ʿAmrah, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: The Muslims wished the Romans would defeat the Persians, because the Romans were People of the Book, whereas the idolaters preferred that Persia triumph over Rome, for the Persians were idol-worshippers. The Muslims mentioned this to Abū Bakr, who then related it to the Prophet ﷺ. He said, “They will certainly prevail.” Abū Bakr conveyed that to the polytheists, who said, “Set a term between us and you.” He fixed a term of five years, yet by that time the Romans had not prevailed. Abū Bakr reported this to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he said, “Why did you not make it”—I think he said—“less than ten?” After that, the Romans did triumph. That is the meaning of Allah’s words: “The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, yet after their defeat they will overcome, within a few years” (Q 30:2–4).

Sufyān al-Thawrī said: I have heard that their victory came on the day of Badr.

Al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAṭiyyah al-ʿAwfī narrated—my father from my grandfather, from Ibn ʿAbbās—regarding the verse “The Romans have been defeated” (Q 30:1–2): “That event has passed. The Persians first defeated them, then later the Romans defeated the Persians. At the same time, the Prophet of Allah ﷺ confronted the Arab idolaters, and the Romans and Persians faced one another; Allah granted victory to the Prophet over the polytheists and to the Romans over the Persian idolaters, so the believers rejoiced at Allah’s help to them and to the People of the Book.”

ʿAṭiyyah said: I asked Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī about this, and he said, “We met with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—ourselves and the Arab polytheists—and Rome and Persia met in battle, and Allah granted us victory.”