Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he participated in a military expedition. People began to run in circles to flee; he says, "I was also among those who fled. While fleeing from the battle, we said, 'What should we do? We are fleeing from battle and returning deserving of Allah's wrath.' We said, 'Let us go to Madinah and spend the night there so that no one sees us.' The narrator says that when we reached Madinah, we said, 'If we present ourselves before the Prophet of Allah ﷺ, it would be better. If there is room for repentance for us, we will remain upon it, and if there is any other matter, we will return.' We sat with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before the morning prayer. When he ﷺ came out, we said, 'O Messenger of Allah! We are among those who fled from battle.' The Prophet ﷺ turned towards us and said, 'Rather, you are those who flee only to return again.' The narrator says that when the Prophet ﷺ came near us, we kissed his hand and said, 'O Messenger of Allah! We also intended to do the same.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'I am the helper of the Muslims.'"

Hazrat Ibn Sirin narrates that when Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) received the news of the martyrdom of Abu Ubaid Al-Thaqafi (may Allah be pleased with him), he (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "If he had returned to us, I would have been his helper."

Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am the helper of every Muslim.

It is narrated from Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him) that news reached Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) that an army was trapped in Azerbaijan, and they showed patience and all were martyred. Upon this, he (may Allah be pleased with him) said: If they had returned to me, I would have been their helper.

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) states that whoever flees from three in battle, it is as if he did not flee, but whoever flees from two, his fleeing will be counted.

Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that fleeing from battle is among the major sins.

It is also narrated in a similar manner from Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both).

Hazrat Abu Al-Bakhtari saw a man fleeing from battle and said, "The heat of Hell is more severe than the heat of the sword."

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) that when Hazrat Abu Ubaid was martyred and his companions were defeated, Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I am your helper.

Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said that the verse of the Noble Qur'an { وَمَنْ یُوَلِّہِمْ یَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَہُ } was revealed concerning the people of Badr.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Abdur Rahman bin Abi Laila (may Allah be pleased with him) that those men who had fled from the battlefield of Kufa on the day of Maskan came to Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Hazrat Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reproached them and questioned them strictly and said: "Both of you ran away and came here?" Then he intended to send them to the battlefield of Basra, but both of them requested, "O Commander of the Faithful (may Allah be pleased with you)! No, rather send us again to the same battlefield from which we had fled, so that our repentance may also be from there."