Musnad Humaydi

'Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent us on an expedition, (then we) people fled from the battle, came to Madinah and hid out of shame, and we said: "We are ruined." Then we presented ourselves before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! We are deserters." He said: "Rather, you are those who retreat in order to attack again, and I am your protector." © Imam Tirmidhi says:
1- This hadith is Hasan, we know it only from the narration of Yazid bin Abi Ziyad,
2- The meaning of «فحاص الناس حيصة» is that people fled from the battle,
3- And «بل أنتم العكارون» refers to one who flees and comes to his Imam (commander) so that he may help him, not with the intention of fleeing from the battle.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: Ibn Umar was sent with a detachment of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The people wheeled round in flight. He said: I was one of those who wheeled round in flight. When we stopped, we said (i. e. thought): How should we do? We have run away from the battlefield and deserve Allah's wrath. Then we said (thought): Let us enter Madina, stay there, and go there while no one sees us. So we entered (Madina) and thought: If we present ourselves before the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and if there is a change of repentance for us, we shall stay; if there is something else, we shall go away. So we sat down (waiting) for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before the dawn prayer. When he came out, we stood up to him and said: We are the ones who have fled. He turned to us and said: No, you are the ones who return to fight after wheeling away. We then approached and kissed his hand, and he said; I am the main body of the Muslims.