(15–16) “O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing for battle, do not turn your backs to them. Whoever turns his back to them on that day—unless maneuvering for battle or withdrawing to join another force—has incurred wrath from Allah. His abode is Hell—what a wretched destination!”

Allah Most High commands His believing servants to possess faith-inspired courage, to be strong in upholding His cause, and to pursue the means that strengthen hearts and bodies. He forbids them to flee when the two armies meet, saying: “O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing for battle”—that is, when they are arrayed for combat, the men advance against one another, and the two sides draw close—“do not turn your backs to them.” Rather, stand firm in fighting them and patiently endure the fierce combat, for this supports Allah’s religion, strengthens the believers’ hearts, and strikes terror into the disbelievers.

“Whoever turns his back to them on that day—unless maneuvering for battle or withdrawing to join another force—has incurred”—that is, returned bearing—“wrath from Allah. His abode”—that is, his dwelling place—“is Hell—what a wretched destination!”

This indicates that fleeing from battle without a valid excuse is among the gravest major sins, as stated in authentic hadiths and as affirmed here by this severe warning.

The verse also implies that there is no blame upon one who maneuvers for battle—that is, one who shifts from one position to another so that he may fight more effectively and inflict greater harm upon his enemy. He has not turned his back in flight; rather, he has done so to gain the upper hand over his enemy, approach him from a position where he can catch him unawares, deceive him by that maneuver, or achieve some other objective pursued in warfare.

Likewise, it is permissible to withdraw to join a force that will protect him and assist him in fighting the disbelievers. If that force is within the army, the matter is clear. If it is elsewhere than the battlefield—as when the Muslims retreat before the disbelievers and seek refuge in a Muslim city or join another Muslim army—reports from the Companions indicate that this is permissible. This may perhaps be restricted to cases in which the Muslims believe that retreat will lead to a better outcome and better preserve them.

However, if they believe that by standing firm and fighting they will prevail over the disbelievers, it is unlikely that this situation should be among those for which a concession is granted. Otherwise, there would be no conceivable instance of the flight that has been prohibited. This verse is unrestricted, but it will later be qualified by numbers at the end of the surah.