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يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ
O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [for battle], do not turn to them your backs [in flight]. (15)
Commentary
Out of the verses appearing above, the first two Al-Anfal 8: 15⧉ 16⧉tell us about a military law of Islam. The word: زحف (zahf) translated here literally as 'marching to battle' denotes the confrontation and intermingling between the two armies. The sense is that once a war is on, turning back and deserting the battlefield is not permissible for Muslims.
The second Verse Al-Anfal 8:16 ⧉ refers to an exception to this rule, and to a severe punishment for illegal deserters.
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