"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.
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 .
Tirmizi
The Book on Jihad • Hadith 1767