NO FLIGHT IN JIHAD (VERSE NO. 15 -18)

      These verses imply that in JIHطD (THE SACRED RELIGIOUS WAR) a Muslim should have only one motto, and that one is, ``either death or victory.'' When he encounters the enemy in hostile array, there is no room for fear, frailty, or triumph. In either cases there exists truimph and victory for him - alive, he wins the battle and the world, and dead, he wins the Promised Paradise:

      ``O, you who believe! When encounter those who are infidels marching for war, even if they be crowded, do not turn your backs to them in fright.''

      In the next verse two exceptions are mentioned:

      1- To go back for tactical reasons with the intention of jumping forward, or making a feint to distract the enemy's attention from the main attack.

      2- Or if the individual has been isolated from his own forces, he may withdraw, in order to fight in another point of the field.

      The soldier who fights, plays with his own blood; but the soldier who escapes the fight, plays with the blood of all his fellow soldiers.

      He who turns his back to the battle field in order to seek a safe and secure refuge, will find no asylum except Allah's wrath, which may lead him to Hell, which is the worst of destinations!

      Hazrat Imam Ali (AS), who took part almost in all the warfares of Islam in the lifetime of our prophet, and in many others when he was the Khalif himself; he never turned his back to enemy. He always wore a one sided chain mail, that was void of the back side, and could only cover his chest! When he was asked why did he always wear that sort of chain mail which was imperfect, he anwered:

      ``Upon the Lord God in whose hands lay my life; if I encounter the whole Arab population in a fight, I will not turn my back to them''; and he always actually proved to be so!

YOU DID NOT THROW WHEN YOU THREW! (VERSE NO. 17)

      When the battle of Badr began, the prophet prayed to Allah his Lord, and threw a handful of dust at the enemy and said: ``Black be your faces.'' This is said to have had a great psychological and physical effect.

      In order to keep Muslims aloof from vanity and pride, the verse says:

      ``You did not slay them, but Allah slew them; and you did not throw dust or arrow, or spear, it was rather Allah who threw.''

      Here in this verse every act in the battle has been ascribed to Allah as well as to the prophet and Muslims. The phrases that compose the verse are negatory, as well as affirmative, implying; that which you did, you did not do it; It was in fact Allah who did that!

      This assertion has been a general topic for hot controversies among the mystical (SUFIS), Fatalists, and in particular the Pantheists.

      The Pantheist Sufi, holds the doctorine that, God is everything, and everything is God. In other word they say; there is no independent God other than the combined forces and laws which are manifested in the existing universe. To prove their idea, the Pantheists adhere to the above verse, ``You did not throw when you threw, it was Allah who threw...'' and reason by it that every thing is God and God is everything!

      Fatalists too, who hold the doctrine that; all events are predetermined by necessity, or what they call it, `the fate'; use this verse to prove their opinion, and both of the parties have misunderstood the verse and are wrong. This is because they understand that the verse has negated the act of man, but there is a fine and subtle point in this verse that, firstly it confirms the acts of the prophet and his men in throwing and killing, and secondly it ascribes them to God- and it is true- because it was God who created the prophet and his friends and foes, and gave them power and the faculty of movement, by which they could throw or slay. Let us give an example to clear the matter - In one emergency case, you have to reach yourself in another city, and you have no car or any other means of transporting you. Your manager gives you a vehicle and a driver, to take you there in time. Now if your master says to you: ``You did not go when you went, It was I who took you there.'' Is he not right?

      So this verse clearly implies that man has not perfect, and unlimited Free Will, in order to do whatever he wants; nor he is compelled in his actions in all respects and aspects. In other word man's authority lays mid in between Free Will and compulsion.