Maarif-ul-Quran (En) - Al-Anfaal : 15
یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اِذَا لَقِیْتُمُ الَّذِیْنَ كَفَرُوْا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوْهُمُ الْاَدْبَارَۚ
O those who believe, when you face the disbelievers marching to battle, then, do not turn your backs on them.
Commentary Out of the verses appearing above, the first two (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 (16) refers to an exception to this rule, and to a severe punishment for illegal deserters.
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