If I had not the fear of committing (sin) for concealing the knowledge I would not have written to him. Najda wrote to him saying (after praising the Almighty and invoking blessings on the Prophet): Tell me whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took women to participate with him in Jihad; (if he did), whether he allotted them a regular share from the booty; whether he killed the children of (the enemy in the war), how long an orphan would be entitled to consideration as such, and for whom the Khums (fifth part of the booty) was booty. Ibn Abbas wrote to him: You have written asking me whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took women with him to participate in Jihad. He did take them to the battle and sometimes he fought along with them. They would treat the wounded and were given a reward from the booty, but he did not assign any regular share for them. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not kill the children of the enemy, so you should not kill the children. Also you have written to me asking me when the orphanhood of an orphan comes to an end. By my life, if a man has become bearded but is still incapable of getting his due from others or fulfilling his obligation towards them, (he is yet an orphan to be treated as such), but when he can look after his interests like grown-up people, he is no longer an orphan. And you have written to me inquiring about Khums as to whom it is meant for. (In this connection) we (the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah) used to say: It is for us, but those people (i.e. Banu Umayya) have denied it to us.  

أَنْ أَكْتُمَ عِلْمًا مَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ نَجْدَةُ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَضْرِبُ لَهُنَّ بِسَهْمٍ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ وَمَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ وَعَنِ الْخُمْسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ وَقَدْ كَانَ يَغْزُو بِهِنَّ فَيُدَاوِينَ الْجَرْحَى وَيُحْذَيْنَ مِنَ الْغَنِيمَةِ وَأَمَّا بِسَهْمٍ فَلَمْ يَضْرِبْ لَهُنَّ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ فَلاَ تَقْتُلِ الصِّبْيَانَ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي مَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ فَلَعَمْرِي إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَتَنْبُتُ لِحْيَتُهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَضَعِيفُ الأَخْذِ لِنَفْسِهِ ضَعِيفُ الْعَطَاءِ مِنْهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ صَالِحِ مَا يَأْخُذُ النَّاسُ فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْخُمْسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ وَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَقُولُ هُوَ لَنَا فَأَبَى عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا ذَاكَ  

If I had not the fear of committing (sin) for concealing the knowledge I would not have written to him. Najda wrote to him saying (after praising the Almighty and invoking blessings on the Prophet): Tell me whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took women to participate with him in Jihad; (if he did), whether he allotted them a regular share from the booty; whether he killed the children of (the enemy in the war), how long an orphan would be entitled to consideration as such, and for whom the Khums (fifth part of the booty) was booty. Ibn Abbas wrote to him: You have written asking me whether the Messenger of Allah ﷺ took women with him to participate in Jihad. He did take them to the battle and sometimes he fought along with them. They would treat the wounded and were given a reward from the booty, but he did not assign any regular share for them. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not kill the children of the enemy, so you should not kill the children. Also you have written to me asking me when the orphanhood of an orphan comes to an end. By my life, if a man has become bearded but is still incapable of getting his due from others or fulfilling his obligation towards them, (he is yet an orphan to be treated as such), but when he can look after his interests like grown-up people, he is no longer an orphan. And you have written to me inquiring about Khums as to whom it is meant for. (In this connection) we (the kinsmen of the Messenger of Allah) used to say: It is for us, but those people (i.e. Banu Umayya) have denied it to us. (Using translation from Muslim 1812a)   

أَنْ أَكْتُمَ عِلْمِي لَمْ أَكْتُبْ إِلَيْهِ كَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ نَجْدَةُ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ مَعَهُ؟ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَضْرِبُ لَهُنَّ بِسَهْمٍ؟ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ؟ وَمَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ؟ وَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْخُمُسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ؟ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَدْ كَانَ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ مَعَهُ فَيُدَاوِينَ الْمَرْضَى وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَضْرِبُ لَهُنَّ بِسَهْمٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ يُحْذِيهِنَّ مِنَ الغَنِيمَةِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ وَلا تَقْتُلِ الصِّبْيَانَ إِلا أَنْ تَكُونَ تَعْلَمُ مَا عَلِمَ الْخَضِرُ مِنَ الصَّبِيِّ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ فَتَقْتُلَ الْكَافِرَ وَتَدَعَ الْمُؤْمِنَ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ يُتْمِ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَضِي؟ وَلَعَمْرِي إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ تَنْبُتُ لِحْيَتُهُ وَهُوَ ضَعِيفُ الْأَخْذِ لِنَفْسِهِ فَإِذَا كَانَ يَأْخُذُ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ صَالِحِ مَا يَأْخُذُ النَّاسُ فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ الْيُتْمُ وَأَمَّا الْخُمُسُ فَإِنَّا كُنَّا نُرَى أَنَّهُ لَنَا فَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا  

[Machine] Al-Qa'nabi narrated that Sulaiman ibn Bilal narrated from Ja'far ibn Muhammad, who narrated from his father, who narrated from Yazid ibn Hurmuz, that Najdah wrote to Ibn Abbas asking him about five issues. Ibn Abbas said, "If it weren't for me keeping knowledge confidential, I wouldn't have written to him." So Najdah wrote to him, "Afterwards, inform me, was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raiding with women? Was he striking them with arrows? Was he killing children? When does the orphan reach adulthood? And regarding the fifth, who does it belong to?" So Ibn Abbas wrote to him, "You wrote asking me, 'Was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ raiding with women?' He used to raid with them to heal the wounded and distribute from the booty. Regarding the arrow, he never struck them with it. And indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never killed children. You asked, 'When does the orphan reach adulthood?' By my life, a man reaches adulthood when his beard grows, and he is weak in taking care of himself and weak in providing for others. So when he takes for himself what is better than what people take, then he is no longer an orphan. And you asked, 'Regarding the fifth, who does it belong to?' We say it belongs to us and our people refuse that."  

ثنا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ثنا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلَالٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ أَنَّ نَجْدَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ؓماُ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ خَمْسِ خِلَالٍ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَكْتُمَ عِلْمًا لَمَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ نَجْدَةُ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَخْبِرْنِي هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ؟ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَضْرِبُ لَهُنَّ بِسَهْمٍ؟ وَهَلْ كَانَ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ؟ وَمَتَى يَنْقَطِعُ يُتِمُ الْيَتِيمِ؟ وَعَنِ الْخُمُسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ؟ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَغْزُو بِالنِّسَاءِ؟ وَقَدْ كَانَ يَغْزُو بِهِنَّ فَيُدَاوِينَ الْجَرْحَى وَيُحْذَيْنَ مِنَ الْغَنِيمَةِ وَأَمَّا سَهْمٌ فَلَمْ يَضْرِبْ لَهُنَّ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَقْتُلِ الصِّبْيَانَ وَكَتَبْتَ مَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ؟ وَلَعَمْرِي إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ يَشِبُ لِحْيَتُهُ وَإِنَّهُ لَضَعِيفُ الْأَخْذِ لِنَفْسِهِ ضَعِيفُ الْإِعْطَاءِ مِنْهَا فَإِذَا أَخَذَ لِنَفْسِهِ مِنْ أَصْلَحِ مَا يَأْخُذُ النَّاسُ فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْخُمُسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ؟ فَإِنَّا نَقُولُ هُوَ لَنَا وَأَبَى عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا ذَلِكَ  

[Machine] Write to those who are near, whom Allah has mentioned and who have received from what Allah has given to His Messenger. When the orphan reaches maturity, what should be done? Should the boys of the polytheists be killed? Should women and slaves be killed when they are present in a known battle? Ibn Abbas said, "If it were not for my fear of any harm that may befall upon him, I would have written to him." Then he wrote to him, and I was a witness. As for those who are near, we used to see them as the relatives of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ . Our people refused that. As for the boys of the polytheists, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not kill any of them, so do not kill them unless you know what Al-Khidr knew about the boy he killed. As for your question about the maturity of the orphan, once he reaches puberty and shows signs of intelligence, his maturity is completed. Then give him his wealth. As for women and slaves, they do not have a specific arrow when they are present in battle, but they are entitled to a share of the spoils of war.  

اكْتُبْ إِلِيَّ مَنْ ذَوُو الْقُرْبَى الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمُ اللهُ ﷻ وَفَرَضَ لَهُمْ مِمَّا أَفَاءَ اللهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَمَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُ الْيَتِيمِ وَهَلْ يُقْتَلُ صِبْيَانُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَهَلْ لِلنِّسَاءِ وَالْعَبِيدِ إِذَا حَضَرُوا الْبَأْسَ مِنْ سَهْمٍ مَعْلُومٍ؟ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَوْلَا أَنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي شَيْءٍ مَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ وَأَنَا شَاهِدٌ أَمَّا ذَوُو الْقُرْبَى فَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَرَى أَنَّهُمْ قَرَابَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا وَأَمَّا صِبْيَانُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَقْتُلْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا فَلَا تَقْتُلْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَعْلَمَ مَا عَلِمَ الْخَضِرُ مِنَ الْغُلَامِ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ وَأَمَّا مَا سَأَلْتَ عَنِ انْقِضَاءِ يُتْمِ الْيَتِيمِ فَإِذَا بَلَغَ الْحُلُمَ وَأُونِسَ مِنْهُ رُشْدُهُ فَقَدِ انْقَضَى يُتْمُهُ فَادْفَعْ إِلَيْهِ مَالَهُ وَأَمَّا النِّسَاءُ وَالْعَبِيدُ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ سَهْمٌ مَعْلُومٌ إِذَا حَضَرُوا الْبَأْسَ وَلَكِنْ يُحْذَوْنَ مِنْ غَنَائِمِ الْقَوْمِ