Enter the Holy Land

Mūsā and Banū Isrāʾīl had left Egypt, and they had been promised the Holy Land: Jerusalem and the land surrounding it. So Mūsā and Banū Isrāʾīl travelled in that direction, and they arrived next to Jerusalem. Mūsā told his people: let us attack. Here is Jerusalem; we can see it with our own eyes. Let us attack. At that time it was ruled by al-ʿAmāliqah, a certain disbelieving nation; they were the rulers of the Holy Land. And Mūsā told Banū Isrāʾīl: Allah has promised you this land, so let us attack.

O my people, enter the Holy Land which Allah has assigned to you, and do not turn back — in fighting. Al-firāru min al-zaḥf, turning your back in battle, is one of the major sins in Islam. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) counted seven major sins in one hadith, and one of them is al-firāru min al-zaḥf: turning your back on the battlefield and running away. It is a major sin, and the ʿulamāʾ say that doing it can destroy your deeds — it can destroy all that you have done.

And Mūsā is telling his people: wa lā tartaddū — do not turn your backs in fighting — fa-tanqalibū khāsirīn — for then you will be returned as losers. If you turn your backs, you will return as losers.