When the verse was revealed: “Alif. Lām. Mīm. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land,” up to His words, “within a few years” [30:1–4], the Persians were, on that day, dominant over the Romans (1). The Muslims wished the Romans would prevail, for both they and the Muslims were People of the Scripture. About this Allah said: “And on that day the believers will rejoice in Allah’s help. He helps whom He wills, and He is the All-Mighty, the Ever-Merciful” [30:4–5]. The Quraysh, on the other hand, wanted the Persians to win, because neither they nor the Persians were People of the Book or believed in the Resurrection.

When Allah revealed this verse, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq went out calling through the quarters of Mecca: “Alif. Lām. Mīm. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, yet after their defeat they will be victorious within a few years.” Some men of Quraysh said to Abū Bakr (2), “Let this matter be between us and you. Your companion (3) claims that the Romans will overcome the Persians within a few years; shall we not wager with you on that?” He replied, “Certainly”—and this was before wagering had been prohibited. So Abū Bakr and the idolaters deposited their stakes and fixed the amount of the wager. They said to Abū Bakr, “How many years are ‘a few’—it ranges from three to nine (4). Name for us a midpoint to which both sides will be bound.” He set it at six years, and they agreed on that. The six years (5) passed without the Romans prevailing, and the polytheists collected Abū Bakr’s stake. But when the seventh year began, the Romans gained the upper hand over