of their own number, then He abrogated it [by saying]: "Now Allah has lightened [the burden] for you, and He knows that among you is weakness. So if there are among you one hundred steadfast, they will overcome two hundred. And if there are among you one thousand, they will overcome two thousand by permission of Allah" (Qur'an 8:66). So Allah commanded the Muslims to be steadfast against twice their number when they encounter them. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was not taken [in death] until Allah had made the religion manifest and exalted it, and Jihad became a voluntary act.
Ibn Abbas said: "Whoever flees from three of the polytheists has not fled [in the prohibited sense], but whoever flees from two has indeed fled. It is not appropriate for a man among the Muslims to flee from two men among the polytheists."
أَمْثَالِهِمْ، ثُمَّ نَسَخَهَا ﴿الآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضعفا فَإِن تكن مِنْكُمْ مِائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ وَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ ألفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلفَيْنِ بِإِذن الله﴾ فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْ يَصْبِرُوا لمثليهم؛ إِذْ لَقَوْهُمْ فَلَمْ يُقْبَضْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى أَظْهَرَ اللَّهُ الدِّينَ وَأَعَزَّهُ، وَصَارَ الْجِهَادُ تَطَوُّعًا.
قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ:
فَمَنْ فَرَّ مِنْ ثَلاثَةٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَلَمْ يَفِرَّ، وَمَنْ فَرَّ مِنِ اثْنَيْنِ فَقَدْ فَرَّ، وَلا يَنْبَغِي لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْ يَفِرَّ مِنْ رَجُلَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ".
