23/36. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1716 — Regrouping After Retreat
What Has Been Related About Fleeing From An Advancing Army
Hadith About Regrouping and Returning to the Imam
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1716
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1716
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ بَعَثَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي سَرِيَّةٍ فَحَاصَ النَّاسُ حَيْصَةً فَقَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَاخْتَبَيْنَا بِهَا وَقُلْنَا هَلَكْنَا ثُمَّ أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَحْنُ الْفَرَّارُونَ . قَالَ " بَلْ أَنْتُمُ الْعَكَّارُونَ وَأَنَا فِئَتُكُمْ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ . وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ فَحَاصَ النَّاسُ حَيْصَةً يَعْنِي أَنَّهُمْ فَرُّوا مِنَ الْقِتَالِ . وَمَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ " بَلْ أَنْتُمُ الْعَكَّارُونَ " . وَالْعَكَّارُ الَّذِي يَفِرُّ إِلَى إِمَامِهِ لِيَنْصُرَهُ لَيْسَ يُرِيدُ الْفِرَارَ مِنَ الزَّحْفِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah Sent Us On A Military Expedition, And The People Turned To Escape. So We Arrived In Al-Madinah And Concealed Ourselves In It And We Said: 'We Are Ruined.' Then We Went To The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) And We Said: 'O Messenger Of Allah! We Are Those Who Fled.' He Said: 'Rather You Are Al-'Akkarun (Those Who Are Regrouping) And I Am Your Reinforcement.[Abu 'Eisa Said:] This Hadith Is Hasan Gharib. We Do Not Know Of It Except As A Narration Of Yazid Bin Abi Ziyad. And The Meaning Of His Saying: "The People Turned To Escape" Is That They Fled From The Fighting. As For The Meaning Of His Saying: "Rather You Are Al-'Akkarun," The 'Akkar Is The One Who Flees To His Imam In Order That He May Help Him, It Does Not Mean Fleeing From The Advancing Army.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1716In-book reference : Book 23, Hadith 50English translation : Vol. 3, Book 21, Hadith 1716
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1716
This hadith about regrouping and returning to the Imam describes Ibn Umar and others after a military expedition. The people turned away from fighting and came to Madinah, where they hid and feared they were ruined. When they came to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم and said they were those who fled, he replied that they were not simply deserters, but al-akkarun, those who regroup, and he was their reinforcement. Abu Eisa explains that al-akkar refers to one who flees to his Imam for help, not one intending to flee from the advancing army. The hadith gives a careful distinction in wording.
What we learn from this hadith
- The companions feared their action and came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected their description of themselves.
- Returning to the Imam for support is distinguished from fleeing the battle line.
- Words should be understood with their intended meaning.
