In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

Cowardice

(Qur’anic Perspective)

1. Do Not Be Like Those Who Disbelieve

Arabic:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَقَالُوا لِإِخْوَانِهِمْ إِذَا ضَرَبُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَوْ كَانُوا غُزًّى لَّوْ كَانُوا عِندَنَا مَا مَاتُوا وَمَا قُتِلُوا ۗ لِيَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ ذَٰلِكَ حَسْرَةً فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

Transliteration:
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū lā takūnū ka-alladhīna kafarū wa-qālū li-ikhwānihim idhā ḍarabū fī al-arḍi aw kānū ghuzzan law kānū ʿindanā mā mātū wa-mā qutilū, li-yajʿala Allāhu dhālika ḥasratan fī qulūbihim, wa-Allāhu yuḥyī wa-yumīt, wa-Allāhu bimā taʿmalūna baṣīr

Translation:
"O you who believe, do not be like those who disbelieved and said of their brothers when they traveled through the land or went forth to battle, 'If they had remained with us, they would not have died or been killed.' Thus Allah makes that a regret within their hearts. And Allah gives life and causes death, and Allah is All-Seeing of what you do." (Āl ʿImrān 156)

2. Those Who Delay Intentionally

Arabic:
وَإِنَّ مِنكُمْ لَمَن لَّيُبَطِّئَنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَتْكُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالَ قَدْ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيَّ إِذْ لَمْ أَكُن مَّعَهُمْ شَهِيدًا

Transliteration:
Wa-inna minkum la-man la-yubaṭṭiʾann, fa-in aṣābatkum muṣībatun qāla qad anʿama Allāhu ʿalayya idh lam akun maʿahum shahīdā

Translation:
"And indeed, among you is he who lingers behind. If disaster strikes you, he says, 'Allah has favored me in that I was not present with them.'" (Al-Nisāʾ 72)

3. Do Not Turn Your Backs in Battle

Arabic:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا لَقِيتُمُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا زَحْفًا فَلَا تُوَلُّوهُمُ الْأَدْبَارَ
وَمَن يُوَلِّهِمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ دُبُرَهُ إِلَّا مُتَحَرِّفًا لِّقِتَالٍ أَوْ مُتَحَيِّزًا إِلَىٰ فِئَةٍ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِغَضَبٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَمَأْوَاهُ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

Transliteration:
Yā ayyuhā alladhīna āmanū idhā laqītumu alladhīna kafarū zaḥfan fa-lā tuwallūhumu al-adbār
Wa-man yuwallihim yawmaʾidhin duburahu illā mutaḥarrifan li-qitālin aw mutaḥayyizan ilā fiʾatin faqad bāʾa bi-ghaḍabin mina Allāhi wa-maʾwāhu jahannam, wa-biʾsa al-maṣīr

Translation:
"O you who believe, when you meet those who disbelieve advancing for battle, do not turn your backs to them. And whoever turns his back to them on that day — unless maneuvering for battle or joining a company — has certainly incurred wrath from Allah, and his refuge is Hell; and wretched is the destination." (Al-Anfāl 15–16)

4. They Are a Cowardly People

Arabic:
وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُمْ لَمِنكُمْ وَمَا هُم مِّنكُمْ وَلَٰكِنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَفْرَقُونَ
لَوْ يَجِدُونَ مَلْجَأً أَوْ مَغَارَاتٍ أَوْ مُدَّخَلًا لَّوَلَّوْا إِلَيْهِ وَهُمْ يَجْمَحُونَ

Transliteration:
Wa-yaḥlifūna bi-Allāhi innahum la-minkum wa-mā hum minkum wa-lākinahum qawmun yafraqūn
Law yajidūna maljaʾan aw maghārātin aw muddakhalan la-wallaw ilayhi wa-hum yajmaḥūn

Translation:
"They swear by Allah that they are among you, but they are not among you; rather, they are a people who are afraid. If they could find a refuge or caves or any place to enter, they would turn to it while rushing headlong." (Al-Tawbah 56–57)

5. False Assumptions in the Time of Trial

Arabic:
ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن بَعْدِ الْغَمِّ أَمَنَةً نُّعَاسًا يَغْشَىٰ طَائِفَةً مِّنكُمْ ۖ وَطَائِفَةٌ قَدْ أَهَمَّتْهُمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ بِاللَّهِ غَيْرَ الْحَقِّ ظَنَّ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ هَل لَّنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ الْأَمْرَ كُلَّهُ لِلَّهِ ۗ يُخْفُونَ فِي أَنفُسِهِم مَّا لَا يُبْدُونَ لَكَ ۗ يَقُولُونَ لَوْ كَانَ لَنَا مِنَ الْأَمْرِ شَيْءٌ مَّا قُتِلْنَا هَاهُنَا ۗ قُل لَّوْ كُنتُمْ فِي بُيُوتِكُمْ لَبَرَزَ الَّذِينَ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَىٰ مَضَاجِعِهِمْ ۖ وَلِيَبْتَلِيَ اللَّهُ مَا فِي صُدُورِكُمْ وَلِيُمَحِّصَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ

Transliteration:
Thumma anzala ʿalaykum min baʿdi al-ghammi amanatan nuʿāsan yaghshā ṭāʾifatan minkum, wa-ṭāʾifatun qad ahammathum anfusuhum yaẓunnūna bi-Allāhi ghayra al-ḥaqqi ẓanna al-jāhiliyyah, yaqūlūna hal lanā mina al-amri min shayʾ, qul inna al-amra kullahu li-Allāh, yukhfūna fī anfusihim mā lā yubdūna lak, yaqūlūna law kāna lanā mina al-amri shayʾun mā qutilnā hāhunā, qul law kuntum fī buyūtikum la-baraza alladhīna kutiba ʿalayhimu al-qatlu ilā maḍājiʿihim, wa-li-yabtaliya Allāhu mā fī ṣudūrikum wa-li-yumaḥḥiṣa mā fī qulūbikum, wa-Allāhu ʿalīmun bi-dhāti al-ṣudūr

Translation:
"Then after distress, He sent down upon you security in the form of drowsiness overcoming a group of you, while another group was concerned only for themselves, thinking of Allah other than the truth — the thought of ignorance. They said, 'Is there for us any part in the matter?' Say, 'Indeed, the matter belongs entirely to Allah.' They conceal within themselves what they do not reveal to you. They say, 'If we had any part in the matter, we would not have been killed here.' Say, 'Even if you had been in your homes, those for whom killing was decreed would have come out to their places of death.' And that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purify what is in your hearts. And Allah is Knowing of what is within the breasts." (Āl ʿImrān 154)

6. Those Who Turned Away Were Pardoned

Arabic:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَلَّوْا مِنكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ إِنَّمَا اسْتَزَلَّهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ بِبَعْضِ مَا كَسَبُوا ۖ وَلَقَدْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

Transliteration:
Inna alladhīna tawallaw minkum yawma al-taqā al-jamʿān innamā istazallahumu al-shayṭān bi-baʿḍi mā kasabū, wa-laqad ʿafā Allāhu ʿanhum, inna Allāha ghafūrun ḥalīm

Translation:
"Indeed, those of you who turned away on the day the two armies met — it was only Satan who caused them to slip because of some of what they had earned. But Allah has already pardoned them. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing." (Āl ʿImrān 155)

7. Fighting in the Way of Allah

Arabic:
فَلْيُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ الَّذِينَ يَشْرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا بِالْآخِرَةِ ۚ وَمَن يُقَاتِلْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَيُقْتَلْ أَوْ يَغْلِبْ فَسَوْفَ نُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

Transliteration:
Fa-li-yuqātil fī sabīli Allāhi alladhīna yashrūna al-ḥayāta al-dunyā bi-al-ākhirah, wa-man yuqātil fī sabīli Allāhi fa-yuqtal aw yaghlab fa-sawfa nuʾtīhi ajran ʿaẓīmā

Translation:
"So let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the Hereafter. And whoever fights in the way of Allah and is killed or achieves victory — We will grant him a great reward." (Al-Nisāʾ 74)

8. Fear of People Instead of Fear of Allah

Arabic:
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ قِيلَ لَهُمْ كُفُّوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۖ فَلَمَّا كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْقِتَالُ إِذَا فَرِيقٌ مِّنْهُمْ يَخْشَوْنَ النَّاسَ كَخَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ أَوْ أَشَدَّ خَشْيَةً ۚ وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا لِمَ كَتَبْتَ عَلَيْنَا الْقِتَالَ ۖ لَوْلَا أَخَّرْتَنَا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ قَرِيبٍ ۗ قُلْ مَتَاعُ الدُّنْيَا قَلِيلٌ ۚ وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنِ اتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ فَتِيلًا

Transliteration:
Alam tara ilā alladhīna qīla lahum kuffū aydiyakum wa-aqīmū al-ṣalāh wa-ātū al-zakāh, fa-lammā kutiba ʿalayhimu al-qitāl idhā farīqun minhum yakhshawna al-nāsa ka-khashyati Allāhi aw ashadda khashyah, wa-qālū rabbanā lima katabta ʿalaynā al-qitāl lawlā akhkhartanā ilā ajalin qarīb, qul matāʿu al-dunyā qalīl, wa-al-ākhiratu khayrun li-man ittaqā, wa-lā tuẓlamūna fatīlā

Translation:
"Have you not seen those to whom it was said, 'Restrain your hands, establish prayer, and give zakāh'? But when fighting was ordained for them, at once a group of them feared the people as they should fear Allah or even more. They said, 'Our Lord, why have You decreed fighting upon us? If only You had postponed it for us for a short time.' Say, 'The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for whoever fears Allah. And you will not be wronged even as much as the thread inside a date stone.'" (Al-Nisāʾ 77)