Fleeing is permissible, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Now, Allah has lightened [the burden] for you, and He knows that among you is weakness. So if there are from you one hundred [who are] steadfast, they will overcome two hundred" (4). Even if the wording is that of a report (khabar), it is a command (amr), as evidenced by His saying: "Now, Allah has lightened [the burden] for you." Were it a report in the literal sense, our change from the victory of one over ten to the victory of two over twenty would not be a "lightening." Furthermore, the report of Allah the Exalted is truth and cannot occur contrary to what is reported. It is known that victory and overcoming do not occur for the Muslims in every location where the enemy is double the number of the Muslims or less; thus, it is known that this is a command and an obligation. Nothing has come down to abrogate this verse, neither in the Book nor in the Sunnah, so the ruling must be based upon it. Ibn Abbas said: It was revealed: "If there are from you twenty steadfast, they will overcome two hundred" (5). This was difficult for the Muslims when Allah obligated them that one should not flee from ten. Then a lightening came, and He said: "Now, Allah has lightened [the burden] for you," until His saying: "they will overcome two hundred." So when Allah lightened the number for them, He decreased the requirement of steadfastness in proportion to the number He lightened. Reported by Abu Dawud (6). Ibn Abbas said: Whoever flees from two has fled, and whoever flees from three has not fled (7). The second condition: that he does not intend by his fleeing to seek refuge with a group (tahayyuz) or to maneuver for fighting (taharruf). If he intends either of these two, it is permissible for him; [due to the saying of Allah the Exalted] (8): "except to maneuver for fighting or to join [another] company" (9). The meaning of maneuvering for fighting is to move to a position where fighting is more advantageous, such as shifting from facing the sun or wind to having them at one's back (10), or moving from low ground to higher ground, or from a place of thirst to a water source, or fleeing before them so their ranks are broken or their cavalry is separated from their infantry (11), or
(4) Surah al-Anfal: 66. In (A) an addition: "and if there are from you one thousand, they will overcome two thousand". (5) Surah al-Anfal: 65. (6) In: The Chapter on Turning Away on the Day of Battle, from the Book of Jihad. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/43. It was also reported by al-Bayhaqi in: The Chapter on the Prohibition of Fleeing from Battle... from the Book of Siyar (Expeditions). Al-Sunan al-Kubra 9/76. See the footnote to Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq 5/352. (7) Reported by Said ibn Mansur in: The Chapter on a Man Not Fleeing from Two Men of the Enemy, from the Book of Jihad. Al-Sunan 2/209. See its footnote. It was also reported by al-Bayhaqi in: The Chapter on the Prohibition of Fleeing from Battle... from the Book of Siyar. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 9/76. (8) In (M): "because Allah the Exalted said". (9) Surah al-Anfal: 16. (10) In the original and (B): "having them at their backs". (11) In (A): "their men".
جازَ الفِرارُ، لقولِ اللَّه تعالَى: {الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْكُمْ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ ضَعْفًا فَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ مِائَةٌ صَابِرَةٌ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ} (٤). وهذا إنْ كان لفظُه لفْظَ الخَبَرِ، فهو أمْرٌ، بدَلِيلِ قولِه: {الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْكُمْ}. ولو كانَ خبرًا على حَقِيقَتِه، لم يكُنْ رَدُّنا مِن غلَبَةِ الواحدِ للعشرةِ إلى غَلَبةِ الاثْنَيْن تَخْفيفًا، ولأنَّ خبرَ اللَّه تعالَى صِدْقٌ لا يقَعُ بخلافِ مُخْبرِه، وقد عُلِمَ أنَّ الظَّفَرَ والغَلَبَةَ لا يحْصُلُ للمسلمين فى كلِّ مَوْطِنٍ يكُونُ العَدُوُّ فيه ضِعْفَ المسلمين فما دُونَ، فعُلِمَ أنَّه أمْرٌ وفرضٌ، ولم يأْتِ شىءٌ ينْسَخُ هذه الآيةَ، لا فى كتابٍ ولا سُنَّةٍ، فوَجَبَ الحكمُ بها. قال ابنُ عبَّاسٍ: نَزلتْ: {إِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ عِشْرُونَ صَابِرُونَ يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ} (٥). فشقَّ ذلك على السلمين حينَ فرَضَ اللَّهُ عليهم ألَّا يَفِرَّ واحدٌ من عشرةٍ، ثمَّ جاءَ تَخْفِيفٌ، فقال: {الْآنَ خَفَّفَ اللَّهُ عَنْكُمْ} إلى قوله: {يَغْلِبُوا مِائَتَيْنِ}. فلمَّا خفَّفَ اللَّهُ عنهم من العَدَدِ، نَقَصَ من الصَّبْرِ بقَدْرِ ما خَفَّف من العَدَدِ. روَاه أبو داود (٦)، وقال ابنُ عبَّاسٍ: مَنْ فَرَّ مِن اثْنَيْن، فقَدْ فرَّ، ومَنْ فَرَّ من ثلاثةٍ فما فَرَّ (٧). الثانى، أَنْ لا يقْصِدَ بفِرارِه التَّحَيُّزَ إلى فِئَةٍ، ولا التَّحَرُفَ لقتالٍ، فإنْ قصدَ أحَدَ هذَيْن، فهو مُباحٌ له؛ [لقولِ اللَّه تعالَى] (٨): {إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَى فِئَةٍ} (٩). ومَعْنَى التَّحَرُّفِ للقْتالِ، أَنْ ينْحازَ إلى مَوْضِعٍ يكونُ القتالُ فيه أمْكنَ، مثل أَنْ ينْحازَ مِن مُواجَهَةِ الشَّمْسِ أو الرِّيح إلى اسْتِدْبارِهما (١٠)، أو من نَزِلةٍ إلى عُلُوٍّ، أو من مَعْطَشَةٍ إلى مَوْضِعِ ماءٍ، أو يَفِرَّ بينَ أَيْدِيهم لتَنْتَقِضَ صُفوفُهُم، أو تَنْفَرِدَ خَيْلُهم من رجَّالَتِهم (١١)، أو
(٤) سورة الأنفال ٦٦. وفى أزيادة: {وَإِنْ يَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أَلْفٌ يَغْلِبُوا أَلْفَيْنِ}.(٥) سورة الأنفال ٦٥.(٦) فى: باب فى التولى يوم الزحف، من كتاب الجهاد. سنن أبى داود ٢/ ٤٣.كما أخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب تحريم الفرار من الزحف. . .، من كتاب السير. السنن الكبرى ٩/ ٧٦. وانظر حاشية مصنف عبد الرزاق ٥/ ٣٥٢.(٧) أخرجه سعيد بن منصور، فى: باب لا يفر الرجل من الرجلين من العدو، من كتاب الجهاد. السنن ٢/ ٢٠٩. وانظر حاشيته. وأخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب تحريم الفرار من الزحف. . .، من كتاب السير. السنن الكبرى ٩/ ٧٦.(٨) فى م: "لأن اللَّه تعالى قال".(٩) سورة الأنفال ١٦.(١٠) فى الأصل، ب: "استدبارها".(١١) فى أ: "رجالهم".
