The opening verses of Surah al-Rum (Qur'an 30:1-5) foretold that the Romans, who had just suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of the Persians, would defeat the Persians within "a few years." Ubay ibn Khalaf mocked Abu Bakr RA over this, since a Roman victory seemed impossible. Abu Bakr insisted that it would happen, and the two agreed on a wager. The Qur'an's phrase "bid'i sinin" means a few years, anywhere from three to nine. Abu Bakr chose six years as the term.
Significance
Six years passed without a Roman victory, so Abu Bakr RA lost the wager. Yet eight and a half years after the bet, on the very same day as the Battle of Badr, the Byzantine emperor Heraclius defeated Khosrow II of Persia. Two of Khosrow's generals had defected, and a member of his own family had plotted against him. This fulfilled the Qur'an's prophecy. The news of the Roman victory took about two weeks to reach the Muslims. Ubay ibn Khalaf, who had mocked the prophecy, was killed the following year at the Battle of Uhud by the Prophet ﷺ himself.
Around this time
Other events recorded around the same time. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
“Alif, Lam, Meem. The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearby land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.”
The opening verses of Surah al-Rum, prophesying the Roman victory over the Persians, are the subject of Abu Bakr RA's wager with Ubay ibn Khalaf.
“Alif, Lam, Meem. The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearby land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.”
The opening verses of Surah al-Rum, prophesying the Roman victory over the Persians, are the subject of Abu Bakr RA's wager with Ubay ibn Khalaf.
“Alif, Lam, Meem. The Byzantines have been defeated in the nearby land. But they, after their defeat, will overcome within a few years. To Allah belongs the command before and after. And that day, the believers will rejoice in the victory of Allah. He gives victory to whom He wills, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful.”
The opening verses of Surah al-Rum, prophesying the Roman victory over the Persians, are the subject of Abu Bakr RA's wager with Ubay ibn Khalaf.