Qur'an 30:2–5 (al-Rum): 'The Romans have been defeated'
c. c. 614 – c. 622
Place: mecca
21.422, 39.826 · On the map
The text is attested. The link to 614 is traditional exegesis, consistent with the plain sense. Vocalization variants (ghulibat/ghalabat) change who is defeated.
The opening of Sura 30 refers to a Roman (Byzantine) defeat 'in the nearest land' and predicts a reversal within a few years. Tradition dates it to the Persian conquests of Syria and Palestine (613–614), and Heraclius' recovery after 622 fulfils it in the traditional reading. It is the Qur'an's clearest reference to the great war that framed the end of the chain.
People named here
- Heraclius
- Khosrow II
Links
Text and wording
In
Byzantine–Sasanian war; Persians take Jerusalem (614); Q 30:2–5
Q 30:2–5 refers to the Romans' defeat 'in the nearest land'.
text_parallel
traditional
Sources
- Qur'an, Surat al-Rum (30):2–5
Quran.com. Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Wikipedia: Ar-Rum
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.
- Wikipedia: Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628
Wikipedia contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-11-11.