Tafseer of The Spoils of War · Al-Anfaal · 8:15
O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing [for battle], do not turn to them your backs [in flight].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement: يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الأَدْبَارَ (15) (O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve in battle array, do not turn your backs to them) (15).
Abū Jaʿfar said: He — exalted is His mention — means: O you who have held Allah and His Messenger to be truthful = when you meet those who disbelieve in combat = zaḥfan (in advancing battle array), He says: while you advance toward one another in march, one toward the other = and "al-tazāḥuf" means drawing near to one another and closely approaching one another (64) = do not turn your backs to them, He says: do not turn your backs to them so as to flee away from them, but stand firm against them, for Allah is with you against them (65).
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Footnotes:
(64) You will not find this explanation of the word "al-tazāḥuf" in the linguistic dictionaries, so it ought to be recorded.
(65) See the explanation of "al-tawallī" in what has already preceded in the lexical entries (w-l-y).
= And the explanation of "al-dubr" in what has already preceded, 7: 109, 110; 10: 170.
