Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2935
حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْجَهْضَمِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عَطِيَّةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ بَدْرٍ ظَهَرَتِ الرُّومُ عَلَى فَارِسَ فَأَعْجَبَ ذَلِكَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَنَزَلَتْ ( الم * غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ ) إِلَى قَوْلِهِ (يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ ) قَالَ فَفْرَحَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ بِظُهُورِ الرُّومِ عَلَى فَارِسَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ . وَيُقْرَأُ غَلَبَتْ وَغُلِبَتْ يَقُولُ كَانَتْ غُلِبَتْ ثُمَّ غَلَبَتْ هَكَذَا قَرَأَ نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ غَلَبَتْ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Sa‘id said that on the day of the Battle of Badr, the Romans gained victory over the Persians, which pleased the believers. Then the verses were revealed: ‘Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated…’ through ‘…the believers will rejoice’ (Qur’an 30:1–4). The believers rejoiced at the Romans’ victory over the Persians. Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan gharib through this route. The verse may be recited as ghulibat (‘were defeated’) or ghalabat (‘were victorious’): they were first defeated, then later prevailed. Nasr ibn ‘Ali recited ghalabat.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic explicitly gives both readings in Qur’an 30:2: ghulibat al-Rum (‘the Romans were defeated’) and ghalabat al-Rum (‘the Romans prevailed’). The historical sequence is defeat followed by victory, which is why the believers rejoiced. Nasr ibn ‘Ali recited the latter form.