Ar-Rum () is the 30th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran, consisting of 60 verses (āyāt). The term Rūm originated in the word Roman, and during the time of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, it referred to the Eastern Roman Empire; the title is also sometimes translated as "The Greeks" or "The Byzantines". The surah provides information on how the cataclysmic Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628 looked to the Arabs of Mecca—interested onlookers who were still unaware that, within a single generation, they would enter the realm of imperialism and defeat both the Byzantines and the Sassanids. Summary The chapter begins by noting the recent defeat of the Byzantine Empire to the Sassanid Empire in Jerusalem, near the Dead Sea. This defeat posed a significant theological and sociological problem for the early Muslim community because the Byzantines were Christians (considered to be "People of the Book" from the Islamic viewpoint) while the Sassanids who defeated them were Zoroastrians. Ar-Rum is in part a response to the non-Muslim Arab Meccans, who took the Sassanid victory as a sign that the traditional polytheistic practices would win out over the monotheism of the Abrahamic religions. In the third and fourth verses, the Muslim community is promised that the Byzantines will reverse their defeat into a victory and retake Jerusalem "in a few years' time". Muslims believe this prophecy was fulfilled with Heraclius' campaign of 622, a Byzantine military counter-offensive that resulted in a crushing defeat for the Sassanids in Anatolia, and cite it as an example of the miraculous nature of the Quran. Ayat (verses) 1-5 Prophecy concerning the ultimate triumph of the Greeks over the Persians 6-7 God's power manifest in nature 8-9 The Quraysh heed not the warnings of God 10-12 The despair of the infidels in the resurrection 13-15 The righteous and the wicked shall be separated on the Day of Judgement 16-17 God to be worshipped at stated periods 18 The changes in nature a proof of the resurrection 19-26 Various signs of God's omnipotence 27-28 The idolaters convinced of folly by reference to their own customs 29-31 Muhammad exhorted to follow the orthodox faith and to avoid idolatry 32-35 The ingratitude of idolaters, who call on God in adversity but forget him in prosperity 36-38 Muslims exhorted to charity 39 The idols unable to create and preserve life 40-41 God's judgements follow man's iniquity 42 Exhortation to repentance before the judgment