ʿAbd Allah ibn Muḥammad narrated to us; Muʿāwiyah narrated to us; Abū Isḥāq narrated to us, from Sufyān, from Ḥabīb ibn Abī ʿAmrah, from Ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:

The Muslims were eager for the Byzantines to defeat the Persians, because the Byzantines were People of the Scripture. The idolaters, however, wished the Persians to overcome Rome, for the Persians were idol-worshippers like themselves. The Muslims mentioned this to Abū Bakr, and Abū Bakr relayed it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “They will most surely be defeated.”

Abū Bakr conveyed this to the idolaters, and they said, “Set a term between us: if the Byzantines prevail, you will receive such-and-such, and if we prevail, we will receive such-and-such.” Abū Bakr fixed the term at five years, yet the Byzantines had not triumphed within that span. He then informed the Prophet ﷺ, who asked, “Did you choose the shortest period?” He replied, “Less than ten years.” Saʿīd commented, “Bidʿ (‘a few’) means fewer than ten.”

Ibn ʿAbbās continued: “Later, the Byzantines did overcome, in fulfilment of Allah’s words: ‘Alif-Lām-Mīm. The Romans have been defeated in a nearby land, but after their defeat they will be victorious within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after’ (al-Rūm 30:1-4). Thus the Romans were first beaten, then they prevailed, as Allah says: ‘To Allah belongs the command before and after, and on that day the believers will rejoice in Allah’s help’ (al-Rūm 30:4). Consequently, the Muslims rejoiced at Allah’s victory.”

⦗46⦘ Ibn al-Muthannā narrated to us; Muḥammad Abū Saʿīd al-Taghlibī narrated to us; Abū Isḥāq al-Fazārī narrated to us, from Sufyān, with this same report.