That is because they possess four qualities: they are the most forbearing of people when turmoil erupts, the quickest to recover after a calamity, the swiftest to return to the fray after a withdrawal, and the kindest to the poor, the orphan and the weak. A fifth fine trait is that they are the best at shielding people from the tyranny of kings (1).

Muslim then said: Ḥaramlah ibn Yaḥyā al-Tujībī narrated to us; ʿAbd Allāh ibn Wahb narrated to us; Abū Shurayḥ narrated to me that ʿAbd al-Karīm ibn al-Ḥārith narrated to him that al-Mustawrid al-Qurashī said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, “The Hour will be established while the Romans are the most numerous of people.” When this reached ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ he said, “What are these reports people quote from you, claiming that you attribute them to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?” Al-Mustawrid replied, “I only relate what I heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” ʿAmr said, “If you have indeed said that, then they are the most forbearing of people in the face of a trial, the most patient of people when calamity strikes, and the best of people toward their poor and their weak.” (2)

This shows that the Romans will embrace Islam at the end of time, and it may be that the conquest of Constantinople will be achieved by a group from among them, just as the previous ḥadith states that it will be attacked by seventy thousand from the descendants of Isaac. The Romans are descended from Esau son of Isaac son of Abraham, the Friend of Allah—may Allah have mercy on them all—so they are the cousins of the Children of Israel, namely Jacob son of Isaac. In the last days the Romans will be better than the Children of Israel, for the Dajjal will be followed by seventy thousand Jews of Isfahan, who will be his supporters, whereas the Romans are praised in this ḥadith. Perhaps they will accept Islam at the hands of the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary. Allah knows best.

In some versions the wording is “from among the descendants of Ishmael,” and this was supported by Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ and others. Allah knows best.

Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Uways said: Kathīr ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAwf narrated to us, from his father, from his grandfather, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“You will fight Banū al-Aṣfar (the Byzantines), and the believers of the Ḥijāz who succeed you will also fight them, until Allah grants them the conquest of Constantinople and Rome through tasbīḥ (glorifying Allah) and takbīr (proclaiming His greatness). Their fortress will crumble, and they will obtain wealth the like of which they had never acquired before, to the point that they will divide it up with shields. Then a caller will cry out: ‘O people of Islam, the Messiah, the Dajjal, is in your lands and among your children!’ The people will abandon the spoils—some taking, others leaving; the taker will regret, and the one who leaves will regret. They will ask, ‘Who was that caller?’ and none of them will know. They will say, ‘Send a vanguard to Īliyāʾ; if the Messiah has emerged they will bring you news of him.’ They go and look, but they see nothing, and they find the people silent. They will say, ‘The caller would not have shouted except for a grave matter. Resolve yourselves!’ Then they will agree and decide: ‘Let us all march to Īliyāʾ. If the Dajjal has appeared we shall fight him together until Allah decides …’