The Quran and Hadith contain prophecies about the expansion of Islam and the defeat of the Persian and Byzantine empires. These prophecies were used by the early caliphs to inspire and legitimize their conquests. The rapid expansion of the Arab empire from the Arabian Peninsula across the Middle East and North Africa was seen as a fulfillment of divine prophecy, shaping the geopolitical landscape for centuries.

The prophetic narratives of the early Islamic conquests became a central theme in Arabic epic and historical poetry, from the works of al-Baladhuri to the Sīrat ʿAntar. These stories of conquest, driven by divine mandate, have influenced Islamic literature and poetry across cultures, from Persian epics to African praise songs.