Rome, Persia, and Allah's Promise of Sovereignty

Rome, Persia, and Allah's Promise of Sovereignty

During the time of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the two greatest powers in the world were the Roman Empire and the Persian Empire. Both ruled vast territories and appeared impossible to defeat, especially by the Arabs, who at that time possessed neither significant political influence nor military strength.

In such circumstances, the Prophet ﷺ instilled in his companions the conviction that worldly power did not belong to Rome or Persia. Sovereignty belongs entirely to Allah, who grants it to whom He wills and takes it away from whom He wills.

The Promise to Suraqah During the Hijrah

One of the most remarkable incidents occurred when the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq were migrating to Madinah.

At that time, Suraqah ibn Malik—who was still a polytheist—pursued the Prophet ﷺ in hopes of claiming the reward of one hundred camels offered by the Quraysh for his capture. Yet every time he drew near, his horse sank into the sand until he realized that the Prophet ﷺ was under Allah's protection.

When Suraqah eventually sought a guarantee of safety, the Prophet ﷺ surprised him with an astonishing prophecy:

 "O Suraqah, what do you think of the day when you will wear the bracelets of Kisra?"

Suraqah, a man from the Arabian desert, was stunned.

He asked,

"Kisra ibn Hurmuz, the King of Persia?"

The Prophet ﷺ replied:

 "Yes, Kisra ibn Hurmuz."

At that moment, the statement seemed almost impossible. The Prophet ﷺ was a fugitive, while Persia was one of the greatest empires on earth.

Yet only a few decades later, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, Persia was conquered. The bracelets of Kisra were brought to Madinah, and Suraqah was summoned to wear them, exactly as the Prophet ﷺ had foretold.

Allah, the Owner of All Sovereignty

It is narrated from Qatadah that the Prophet ﷺ hoped that the two great powers of his time—Rome and Persia—would embrace Islam and become part of his community.

Allah then reminded humanity that authority belongs entirely to Him. No kingdom exists by its own power, and no empire lasts forever.

Allah says:

 "Say, 'O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is all good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.'"

(Qur'an 3:26)

This verse establishes a fundamental principle: the rise and fall of civilizations are not determined solely by economic strength, military power, or political influence. Ultimately, they occur by the will of Allah, the Possessor of all dominion.

Prophecies During the Digging of the Trench

The same promise was reaffirmed during the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq).

As the Muslims were digging a defensive trench around Madinah, they encountered a massive rock that none of them could break. The Prophet ﷺ came forward and struck it with a pickaxe. With each strike, a flash of light appeared.

According to the narration of Al-Bara' ibn Azib, after the first strike, the Prophet ﷺ proclaimed:

 "Allahu Akbar! I have been given the keys to Syria. By Allah, I can see its red palaces even now."

He struck the rock a second time and said:

"Allahu Akbar! I have been given the keys to Persia. By Allah, I can see the white palace of Kisra."

Then he struck it a third time and declared:

 "Allahu Akbar! I have been given the keys to Yemen. By Allah, I can see the gates of Sana'a from where I stand."

What makes this event extraordinary is its context.

At that moment, the Muslims were besieged, hungry, and facing the threat of annihilation. Yet it was precisely in those darkest circumstances that the Prophet ﷺ spoke about the collapse of the world's greatest empires.

Constantinople and Rome

Among the Prophet's ﷺ most famous prophecies is the prediction concerning the conquest of Constantinople, the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.

He said:

 "Constantinople shall indeed be conquered. What an excellent leader will its leader be, and what an excellent army will that army be."

Centuries later, this prophecy was fulfilled when Constantinople was conquered by Mehmed II in 1453 CE.

As for Rome itself, another narration is reported from Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As. When asked which city would be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome, the Prophet ﷺ replied:

 "The city of Heraclius (Constantinople) will be conquered first."

This narration indicates that the conquest of Constantinople would precede the conquest of Rome, a subject many scholars associate with major events that will occur near the end of time.

The Greater Lesson

These accounts are not merely stories of military victories.

Behind them lies a much deeper lesson: human beings are often deceived by the magnitude of the powers they see before them.

During the Prophet's ﷺ lifetime, Rome and Persia appeared invincible. Yet Allah demonstrated that even the mightiest empires can collapse in an instant when He wills.

For this reason, a believer places ultimate hope not in human power, but in Allah, the Owner of all kingdoms.

History continues to repeat the same truth:

Empires rise and fall.

Power changes hands.

But the Owner of all power never changes.

As Allah declares:

"You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will." (Qur'an 3:26)

And that reality remains as true today as it was in the age of Rome and Persia.