How the conflict between these two verse of Quran can be solved?

Question

First verse says:

And whoever turns his back to them on such a day, unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company, has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell - and wretched is the destination. 8:16

Second is:

Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing. 9:25

This verse is clearly saying all or some of Muslims with prophet fled from war and so they will be in Hell.

Does this means that who were at prophet army prophet are in Hell ?

They were Muslims and by combining these two verse it means Muslims are in hell! Is not it conflict in Quran?

How this can be solved ?

Answer 1

The holy Quran answers your question itself:

By having accepted the first verse (8:16) and the fact that:

1) Whoever turns his back to the disbelievers and escapes from them in a war, will go to the hell.

Let’s have a look at the second verse (9:25) and its following two verses(9:26 and 9:27)

لَقَدْ نَصَرَ‌كُمُ اللَّـهُ فِي مَوَاطِنَ كَثِيرَ‌ةٍ ۙ وَيَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ ۙ إِذْ أَعْجَبَتْكُمْ كَثْرَ‌تُكُمْ فَلَمْ تُغْنِ عَنكُمْ شَيْئًا وَضَاقَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْأَرْ‌ضُ بِمَا رَ‌حُبَتْ ثُمَّ وَلَّيْتُم مُّدْبِرِ‌ينَ

Allah has already given you victory in many regions and [even] on the day of Hunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all, and the earth was confining for you with its vastness; then you turned back, fleeing. [9:25]

ثُمَّ أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ سَكِينَتَهُ عَلَىٰ رَ‌سُولِهِ وَعَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَأَنزَلَ جُنُودًا لَّمْ تَرَ‌وْهَا وَعَذَّبَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُ‌وا ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ جَزَاءُ الْكَافِرِ‌ينَ

Then Allah sent down His tranquility upon His Messenger and upon the believers and sent down soldiers angels whom you did not see and punished those who disbelieved. And that is the recompense of the disbelievers. [9:26]

ثُمَّ يَتُوبُ اللَّـهُ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ غَفُورٌ‌ رَّ‌حِيمٌ

Then Allah will accept repentance after that for whom He wills; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. [9:27]

2) And we believe that whoever Allah accepts repentance from him won't go to the hell (at least for that sin).

So according to the verse 9:27 we should change our first hypothesis to the following one:

(1) + (2) = Whoever turns his back to the disbelievers and escapes from them in a war, will go to the hell, except those ones Allah has accepted their repentance.

Is there any conflict yet in our holy Quran?

Answer 2

What really happened is that the Muslim army included big number of الطلقاء, people who the Prophet forgave when he conquered Mekkah. They were either new muslims with no deep belief in Allah, or hypocrites who were just waiting for a chance to fail muslims.

When the arrows of Hawazen army came like falling rains, most of those الطلقاء flew away either because they became scared because they have weak faith, or because they were hypocrites and found it a good chance to fail muslims. That fled away made big confusion in the Muslim Army, and the "original" Muslims were confused what to do, some thought it was a general retreat and fled away, some went back to return those who fled into the battle field before the wrath of Allah be cast upon them (as comes in the Aya you mentioned). The Prophet (pbuh), who wasn't in an easy to find place, moved to the right of the army and ordered Abbas to retreat the muslims towards the Prophet, and so he did, and muslims did so (with some details).

This is a quotation by Al-Abbas that describes some of these details, sorry I can't translate right now due to the lack of time:

روى مسلم من حديث العباس ـ رضي الله عنه ـ قال شهدت مع رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يوم حنين فلزمت أنا وأبو سفيان بن الحارث بن عبد المطلب رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فلم نفارقه ، ورسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ على بغلة له بيضاء أهداها له فروة بن نفاثة الجذامي ، فلما التقى المسلمون والكفار ولى المسلمون مدبرين ، فطفق رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يركض بغلته قبل الكفار ، قال عباس : وأنا آخذ بلجام بغلة رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أكفها إرادة أن لا تسرع ، وأبو سفيان آخذ بركاب رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ، فقال رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ : " أي عباس ناد أصحاب السمرة " فقال عباس ( وكان رجلا صيتا ) فقلت بأعلى صوتي : أين أصحاب السمرة ؟ قال : فوالله لكأن عطفتهم حين سمعوا صوتي عطفة البقر على أولادها ، فقالوا : يا لبيك يا لبيك ، قال : فاقتتلوا والكفار ، والدعوة في الأنصار يقولون : يا معشر الأنصار يا معشر الأنصار . قال : ثم قصرت الدعوة على بني الحارث بن الخزرج ، فقالوا : يا بني الحارث بن الخزرج يا بني الحارث بن الخزرج ، فنظر رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وهو على بغلته كالمتطاول عليها إلى قتالهم [ ص: 227 ] فقال رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ هذا حين حمي الوطيس قال : ثم أخذ رسول الله ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ حصيات فرمى بهن وجوه الكفار ، ثم قال : " انهزموا ورب محمد " قال : فذهبت أنظر فإذا القتال على هيئته فيما أرى ، قال : فوالله ما هو إلا أن رماهم بحصياته فما زلت أرى حدهم كليلا وأمرهم مدبرا

Source

The same Source page includes a quotation of Imam Al Nawawi (may Allah be peaceful to him) that explains that "The fled was not far away, and they returned so soon".

Source: Tafseer Al Manar. These pages: 1 and 2.