If anyone says "I ask forgiveness from Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence, and I turn to Him in repentance," his sins will be forgiven even if he has fled from the battlefield
عن زيد مولى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : «من قال: أَسْتَغْفِرُ الله الذي لا إله إلا هو الحَيَّ القيَّومَ وأتوب إليه، غُفرت ذنوبه، وإن كان قد فَرَّ من الزَّحْف».
Explanation
Anyone who says "I ask forgiveness from Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence, and I turn to Him in repentance," his sins will be forgiven even if he fled from fighting the infidels on the battlefield. It is known from a Hadīth that desertion is one of the seven major sins. The correct meaning of the present Hadīth is that one should repent from all sins, including desertion.
Otherwise, seeking forgiveness while continuing to commit a certain sin is useless, unless one repents from it.
Source
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