In our series of posts on Selected verses from Selected Surahs of AL Qur'an, we share today the selected surahs from the 30th Surah of Al Qur'an labelled as Surah ’Ar-Rūm (The Romans (Arabic: الروم). The Surah consisting of 60 verses (āyāt) is part of the Juzʼ 21 having six Rukus.
The Surah was revealed during the stay of Prophet Muhammad in Makkah. This surah is remarkable because it connects faith with real historical events, showing that world history unfolds under divine control, not blind chance, for its central historical reference being the defeat and later victory of the Byzantine (Roman) Empire, as predicted in this Surah.
We have already shared the Tafseer / Exegesis of the Surah which can be read from links given below:
Herein under we will only present a condensed overview of the entire Sūrah, for the scope of this post is to only to introduce the Sūrah and provide links to some of the selected verses from this Sūrah for selective reading / references. The following bird eye view includes the context, major themes and subjects and lessons that we can learn from this Sūrah, followed by references to some of the selected verses already published.
Period of Revelation
The period of the revelation of this Surah is determined absolutely by the historical event that has been mentioned at the outset. It says: "The Romans have been vanquished in the neighboring land." In those days the Byzantine occupied territories adjacent to Arabia were Jordan, Syria and Palestine, and in these territories the Romans were completely overpowered by the Iranians in 615 A. D. Therefore, it can be said with absolute certainty that this Surah was sent down in the same year. This was the same year in which the migration to Habash took place.
Readers may open our earlier post: Historical Background of revelation of Surah ’Ar-Rūm, in order to have a peep of the time when this Surah was revealed for better understanding of the Surah itself.
Core significance of Surah Ar-Rūm
Allah governs history, nature, and human hearts; faith is aligned with reality, not detached from it.
Some of the Important Verses of the Surah with brief explanation
- A unique Qur’anic prophecy (30:2–4)
- The Verse: The Romans have been defeated… but after their defeat they will overcome, within a few years.”
- Why this is significant: At the time, the Romans’ defeat seemed final, but the Qur’an publicly predicted their comeback and the prophecy was fulfilled within the stated timeframe
- Lesson: What looks irreversible to humans is never beyond Allah’s power.
- Today’s relevance: (1) Decline is not destiny, (2) Political or moral collapse is not permanent, and that (3)Hope must be anchored in Allah, not trends
- Victory and defeat are moral tests, not proof of truth (30:4–5)
- The Verse: “On that day the believers will rejoice—by the help of Allah.”
- Muslims rejoiced not because Romans were perfect. But because truth is not tied to immediate power.
- Lesson: Do not judge right and wrong by who is winning.
- Human shortsightedness (30:6–7)
- The Verse: “They know what is apparent of worldly life, but of the Hereafter they are heedless.”
- A timeless diagnosis: People master economics, politics, technology, yet neglect ultimate purpose and accountability
- Signs of Allah in nature and society (30:8–27)
- Surah Ar-Rūm repeatedly uses the phrase: “ومن آياته” – “And among His signs…”
- These signs include: (1) Creation of humans, (2) Diversity of languages and colors (30:22), (3) Love and mercy between spouses (30:21), and (4) Sleep, rain, life after death
- Lesson: Faith is rooted in reflection, not blind belief.
- Marriage as a spiritual sign (30:21)
- “He created for you spouses… and placed between you affection and mercy.”
- Significance: Marriage is not merely social, rather it is a sign of divine design.
- Fiṭrah – the natural moral compass (30:30)
- The Verse: “Adhere to the fiṭrah of Allah upon which He created mankind.”
- This verse means Islam aligns with human nature, while corruption comes from deviation, not religion
- Corruption as a human-made problem (30:41)
- The Verse: “Corruption has appeared on land and sea because of what people’s hands have earned.”
- A striking contemporary verse points towards Environmental damage, Social breakdown and Moral decay.
- Lesson: Crises are warnings, not accidents.
- Patience and long-term vision (30:60)
- The verse: “So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is true.”
- This closes the surah by returning to its opening theme which tells that History moves slowly and the Truth prevails eventually
Surah Ar-Rūm teaches that Allah governs history and nature, worldly success is temporary, faith aligns with human nature, and patience anchored in divine promise is the key to navigating turbulent times.
Lessons for us today (in brief)
- Do not despair during decline
- Do not idolize power or progress
- Reflect on nature as a path to faith
- Protect fiṭrah in personal and social life
- See crises as moral wake-up calls
- Trust Allah’s timing
Selected verses explained
Now let us share herein some of the selected ayat / verses from this surah already shared:
- Verse 9: Have they not traveled through the land and observed how was the end of those who disbelieved?
- Verse 19: It is Allah Who brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living
- Verse 41: When does Evil become rife on land and sea
In time we shall add more selected verses from this Surah for better understanding and awareness.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. .
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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