Ar-Rum (Arabic: الروم, ’ar-rūm meaning: The Romans) is the 30th chapter of the Quran. It consists of 60 verses. The term Rûm originated in the word "Romans" and in the time of Prophet Muhammad referred to the Byzantine Greeks (Eastern Roman Empire), hence the title is sometimes also translated as "The Greeks" or "The Byzantines"
The Surah provides information on how the cataclysmic Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628 looked to the Mecca Arabs, interested onlookers who were still unaware that within a single generation they themselves would enter the game of empire and defeat both Persians and Byzantines
Summary
- 1-5 Prophecy concerning the ultimate triumph of the Greeks over the Persians
- 6-7 God's power manifest in nature
- 8-9 The Quraish heed not the warnings of God
- 10-12 The despair of the infidels in the resurrection
- 13-15 The righteous and wicked shall be separated on the judgment-day
- 16-17 God to be worshipped at stated periods
- 18 The changes in nature a proof of the resurrection
- 19-26 Various signs of God's omnipotence
- 27-28 The idolaters convinced of folly by reference to their own customs
- 29-31 Muhammad exhorted to follow the orthodox faith and to avoid idolatry
- 32-35 The ingratitude of idolaters, who call on God in adversity but forget him in prosperity
- 36-38 Muslims exhorted to charity
- 39 The idols unable to create and preserve life
- 40-41 God's judgments follow man's iniquity
- 42 Exhortation to repentance before the judgment
- 42-44 The separation of the wicked and the just in the judgmentday; rewards and punishments
- 45 God's goodness in his providence a sign to men
- 46 Those who rejected the former prophets were punished
- 47-49 God's mercy manifest in his works
- 50 A blasting wind sufficient to harden the hearts of the unbelievers
- 51-52 Muhammad unable to make the dead to hear or the blind to see
- 53 God the Creator
- 54-57 Believers and unbelievers on the resurrection-day
- 58 The parables of the Quran rejected
- 59 Unbelievers are given over to blindness
- 60 Muhammad encouraged to steadfastness in the true religion
The surah begins by noting the recent defeat of the Byzantines by the Persians in Jerusalem near the dead sea.