يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ ٱلْأَدْبَارَ
<p>Commentary</p><p>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.</p><p>The second verse (16) refers to an exception to this rule, and to a severe punishment for illegal deserters.</p>
CommentaryOut 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.