Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3194
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ نِيَارِ بْنِ مُكْرَمٍ الأَسْلَمِيِّ، قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ : ( الم * غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ * فِي أَدْنَى الأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ * فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ) فَكَانَتْ فَارِسُ يَوْمَ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ قَاهِرِينَ لِلرُّومِ وَكَانَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ يُحِبُّونَ ظُهُورَ الرُّومِ عَلَيْهِمْ لأَنَّهُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ أَهْلُ كِتَابٍ وَفِي ذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى : (يوْمَئِذٍ يَفْرَحُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ * بِنَصْرِ اللَّهِ يَنْصُرُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الرَّحِيمُ ) فَكَانَتْ قُرَيْشٌ تُحِبُّ ظُهُورَ فَارِسَ لأَنَّهُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ لَيْسُوا بِأَهْلِ كِتَابٍ وَلاَ إِيمَانٍ بِبَعْثٍ فَلَمَّا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى هَذِهِ الآيَةَ خَرَجَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ رضى الله عنه يَصِيحُ فِي نَوَاحِي مَكَّةَ : ( الم * غُلِبَتِ الرُّومُ * فِي أَدْنَى الأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ * فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ) قَالَ نَاسٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ لأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَذَلِكَ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ زَعَمَ صَاحِبُكُمْ أَنَّ الرُّومَ سَتَغْلِبُ فَارِسًا فِي بِضْعِ سِنِينَ أَفَلاَ نُرَاهِنُكَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ قَالَ بَلَى . وَذَلِكَ قَبْلَ تَحْرِيمِ الرِّهَانِ فَارْتَهَنَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ وَتَوَاضَعُوا الرِّهَانَ وَقَالُوا لأَبِي بَكْرٍ كَمْ تَجْعَلُ الْبِضْعُ ثَلاَثُ سِنِينَ إِلَى تِسْعِ سِنِينَ فَسَمِّ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ وَسَطًا تَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ . قَالَ فَسَمَّوْا بَيْنَهُمْ سِتَّ سِنِينَ قَالَ فَمَضَتِ السِّتُّ سِنِينَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَظْهَرُوا فَأَخَذَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ رَهْنَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَتِ السَّنَةُ السَّابِعَةُ ظَهَرَتِ الرُّومُ عَلَى فَارِسَ فَعَابَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ عَلَى أَبِي بَكْرٍ تَسْمِيَةَ سِتِّ سِنِينَ لأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى قَالَ : (في بِضْعِ سِنِينَ ) قَالَ وَأَسْلَمَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ نَاسٌ كَثِيرٌ . قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ نِيَارِ بْنِ مُكْرَمٍ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Niyar ibn Mukram al-Aslami reported: ‘When the verses “Alif Lam Mim. The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land, but after their defeat they will prevail within a few years” (Qur’an 30:1–4) were revealed, the Persians had defeated the Romans. The Muslims wanted the Romans to prevail because they were People of the Book. Allah says: “On that day the believers will rejoice in Allah’s victory; He gives victory to whom He wills. He is the Mighty, the Merciful” (30:4–5). Quraysh wanted the Persians to prevail because neither they nor Quraysh were People of the Book or believed in resurrection.’
‘When Allah revealed these verses, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq went around Makkah proclaiming them. Some Quraysh said, “Your companion claims the Romans will defeat the Persians within a few years. Let us wager on it.” Abu Bakr agreed. This was before wagering was forbidden. They set a stake and asked Abu Bakr what “a few” meant—three to nine years—and to choose a midpoint. They agreed on six years. Six years passed without the Romans prevailing, and Quraysh took Abu Bakr’s stake. When the seventh year began, the Romans defeated the Persians. The Muslims reproached Abu Bakr for choosing six years when Allah had said “a few years.” Many people became Muslims at that time.’
Abu ‘Isa said: This is a sahih hasan gharib report from Niyar ibn Mukram. We know it only through ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi al-Zinad.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Preserved that the wager is explicitly said to have occurred before wagering was prohibited, and the timeline of six years followed by Roman victory in the seventh year.