Then He said:

“Then indeed, your Lord—to those who emigrated after being persecuted, then strove and remained steadfast—your Lord, after that, is surely All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Surah al-Nahl, 110.

This was revealed concerning those whom the polytheists persecuted until they yielded, but who subsequently emigrated, strove, and remained steadfast. Allah declared that He forgave them and showed them mercy. This shows that their yielding under persecution was among their sins, either because the coercion was not severe enough to permit uttering words of disbelief, or because their hearts were not firm in faith. Thus, the person concerned does not deserve the threatened punishment.

Those compelled to march out with unjust armies—for example, believers rendered powerless who are forced to accompany the disbelievers to fight the believers, just as the polytheists took a group of the powerless with them at Badr—are obliged to avoid marching out if they can do so through emigration or by other means. Otherwise, they are subjected to trial. Concerning them, Allah Most High revealed:

“Indeed, those whose souls the angels take while they are wronging themselves—the angels ask, ‘What situation were you in?’ They reply, ‘We were powerless in the land.’ The angels say, ‘Was Allah’s earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate within it?’”

Surah al-Nisā’