Sahih Muslim Book - 32, Hadith - 4684

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ بْنِ قَعْنَبٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ - يَعْنِى ابْنَ بِلاَلٍ - عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ أَنَّ نَجْدَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ خَمْسِ خِلاَلٍ. فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَكْتُمَ عِلْمًا مَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ. كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ نَجْدَةُ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَخْبِرْنِى هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَضْرِبُ لَهُنَّ بِسَهْمٍ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ وَمَتَى يَنْقَضِى يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ وَعَنِ الْخُمْسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِى هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ وَقَدْ كَانَ يَغْزُو بِهِنَّ فَيُدَاوِينَ الْجَرْحَى وَيُحْذَيْنَ مِنَ الْغَنِيمَةِ وَأَمَّا بِسَهْمٍ فَلَمْ يَضْرِبْ لَهُنَّ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ فَلاَ تَقْتُلِ الصِّبْيَانَ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِى مَتَى يَنْقَضِى يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ فَلَعَمْرِى إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَتَنْبُتُ لِحْيَتُهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَضَعِيفُ الأَخْذِ لِنَفْسِهِ ضَعِيفُ الْعَطَاءِ مِنْهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ صَالِحِ مَا يَأْخُذُ النَّاسُ فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِى عَنِ الْخُمْسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ وَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَقُولُ هُوَ لَنَا. فَأَبَى عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا ذَاكَ.

It was narrated from Yazid bin Hurmuz that Najdah wrote to Ibn 'Abbas, asking him about five things. Ibn 'Abbas said: "Were it not for (fear of) concealing knowledge, I would not have written to him." Najdah wrote to him (saying): "Tell me, did the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) take women on campaigns with him? Did he give them a share (of the spoils of war)? Did he kill children? How long is an orphan considered to be such? And about the Khums - who is it for?" Ibn 'Abbas wrote to him saying: "You wrote and asked me whether the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) took women on campaigns with him. He did take them with him, so that they might treat the wounded, and they were given a reward from the spoils of war; as for a regular share, that was not given to them. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) did not kill children, so do not kill children. And you wrote and asked me how long an orphan is considered to be such. By Allah, if a man's beard has grown but he is still incapable of getting his due from others or fulfilling his obligations towards them (then he is still regarded as an orphan). But when he can look after his affairs like other people, then he is no longer regarded as an orphan. And you wrote and asked me about the Khums and who it is for. We used to say that it was for us, but our people have denied it to us."