(٢١) ٠ you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve in battle, turn not your backs to them. Whoso on that day turned his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly has incurred wrath from God, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journeys end. (Q. ٨:١٥-١٦)

According to some scholars, this passage was abrogated by the following one, in which
God, the Exalted, says:

Now has God lightened your burden,Jor He knows that there is weakness in you. So if there be of you a steadfast hundred, they shall overcome two hundred, and if there be of you a thousand [steadfast], they shall overcome two thousand by permission of God. God is with the steadfast (Q. ٨:٦٦).

Thus, if Muslims were less than half the number of the disbelievers, they would be permitted to leave the battle and flee from the army. Among those who upheld this view is Ata b. Abi Rayyai)..١٢ ٤
The response [to this is as follows]. The restriction of the general sense of this passage with the verse about "lightening your burden" ensures the continuation of its ruling. In other words, running away from the army is forbidden in the Islamic law if the number of the Muslims is not less than the number of the disbelievers. But if the number of the Muslims is less than that, then it is not forbidden for them to run away. This does not constitute abrogation at all.
It is reported from Amr b. Umar, Abu Hurayra, Abu SaId, Abu Nat;lra, Nafi
(the client oflbn Umar), al-I:Iasan al-Ba ri,
al-.Qai).i).ak thatthe ordinance was meant especially for the people who participated in the battle of Badr, and that it is not forbidden for anyone else to flee from the army. This is also the opinion of AbU I:Ianifa.١٢٥
This is an erroneous opinion, for had the context been Badr, this would not neces‌
sitate that the ruling should be intended exclusively for Badr, especially since the
• terms are general and the declaration addresses all Muslims-more particularly, at the time when the passage was revealed, after the fighting on the Day of Badr had ended.١٢٦
Ibn Abbas,١٢٧ all the Imamite Shiites, and many Sunni scholars maintain that the verse is precise, and that its injunction remains enforced until the Day of Judgment. This is certainly the correct opinion, as the evidence is provided by numerous tradi‌ tions related by both Sunni and Shiite sources.
Al-Kulayni relates a tradition he traces back to Mui).ammad, who reported, about the Imam al- adiq:
intentionally; false accusation of an unblemished woman; fleeing from a battle; adop‌ tion of Arab customs after the emigration; squandering the wealth of an orphan; consuming usury after the clear proof [regarding its illicitness]; and performing all that for which God has promised the Fire."١٢٨
Abu Hurayra reports:

I heard the Prophet say, "Avoid seven grave offenses." They asked him, "What are they, ٠ Messenger of God?" He said, "Associating someone with God; magic; killing a person whose killing God has forbidden except for a just cause; consuming usury; squandering the possessions of an orphan; fleeing from fighting; and falsely accusing unblemished women." ١ ٢٩