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Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War)

Verse 16of 75

وَمَن يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍۢ دُبُرَهُۥٓ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًۭا لِّقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَىٰ فِئَةٍۢ فَقَدْ بَآءَ بِغَضَبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَأْوَىٰهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمَصِيرُ﴿١٦

Translation (Sahih International)

And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company, has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell - and wretched is the destination.

Word-by-word meaning

وَمَنwamanAnd whoever
يُوَلِّهِمْyuwallihimturns to them
يَوْمَئِذٍۢyawma-idhinthat day
دُبُرَهُۥٓduburahuhis back
إِلَّاillāexcept
مُتَحَرِّفًۭاmutaḥarrifan(as) a strategy
لِّقِتَالٍliqitālinof war
أَوْawor
مُتَحَيِّزًاmutaḥayyizan(to) join
إِلَىٰilāto
فِئَةٍۢfi-atina group
فَقَدْfaqadcertainly
بَآءَbāa(he has) incurred
بِغَضَبٍۢbighaḍabinwrath
مِّنَminaof
ٱللَّهِl-lahiAllah
وَمَأْوَىٰهُwamawāhuand his abode
جَهَنَّمُ ۖjahannamu(is) Hell
وَبِئْسَwabi'saa wretched
ٱلْمَصِيرُl-maṣīrudestination

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Fleeing from Battle is prohibited, and its PunishmentAllah said, while warning against fleeing from the battlefield and threatening those who do it with the Fire,يَـأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ زَحْفاً(O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve, in a battlefield,) when you get near the enemy and march towards them,فَلاَ تُوَلُّوهُمُ الأَدْبَارَ(never turn your backs to them.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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