Did Sayyiduna ‘Umar Flee During the Battle of Uhud?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it true that Umar (Allah be pleased with him) and other Companions fled from battle?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Indeed, there were occasions in which some companions fled during various battles. However, I did not find any texts specifically pointing to Sayyiduna ‘Umar (Allah be pleased with him).

Allah Most High mentions the battles where some companions fled, and that despite that, He forgave them.

Allah says regarding the Battle of Uhud,

“Indeed, those (believers) who fled on the day when the two armies met (i.e., Uhud) were made to slip by Satan because of their misdeeds. But Allah has pardoned them. Surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.” [Quran, 3:155]

Allah says regarding the Battle of Hunayn,

“Indeed Allah has given you (believers) victory on many battlefields, even at the Battle of Hunain when you took pride in your great numbers, but they proved of no advantage to you. The earth, despite its vastness, seemed to close in on you, and then you turned back in retreat. Then Allah sent down His reassurance upon His Messenger and the believers, and sent down forces you could not see, and punished those who disbelieved. Such was the reward of the disbelievers. Then afterwards Allah will turn in grace to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran, 9:25-27]

Why Did They Flee?

Regarding the Battle of Uhud, many scholars listed possible reasons for fleeing and some justifications for this:

First Opinion

They did not want to engage in the intense battle before they sincerely repented for their previous sins. This is what was meant in the above verse: (they) were made to slip by Satan because of their misdeeds. [Qurtubi, al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Quran]

Many scholars preferred this opinion.

Second Opinion

During the Battle of Uhud, the archers were appointed to guard a raised hill and instructed not to move for any reason; however, when the Muslims began overpowering the Polytheists, they disobeyed the command in pursuit of the war spoils. This was seen as disobedience to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace). However, as mentioned, Allah says that He forgave them. [Ibid.]

Third Opinion

Due to a spreading rumor during the thick of the battle that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was killed, some companions fled back to Madina to protect it from the polytheists. [Ibid.]

Fourth Opinion

In normal circumstances, being outnumbered by more than double permits them to flee; this is the opinion of many Schools of Islamic Law. Thus, fleeing was not sinful. However, since the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was present, staying and supporting him took precedence; thus, they were still sinful for not staying.  [Ibid.]

Fifth Opinion

Those who fled did so because they thought the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had already retreated to the mountain for a tactical regrouping. [Ibid.]

Summary

Regardless of the reason, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) faced enormous obstacles in the preservation of Islam. It is because of their sacrifices that we are Muslims today.

They were uniquely great and people chosen by Allah to be those near the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), but that does not remove their humanity from them. They still experience the fear and horror of fighting an army more than twice their numbers. Despite that, they fought in the front lines to protect the Messenger of Allah.

For some of them to flee is natural, and the fact that Allah Most High immediately says they are pardoned is profound.

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.