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  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used not to kill the children, so thou shouldst not kill them unless you could know what Khadir had known about the child he killed, or you could distinguish between a child who would grow up to he a believer (and a child who would grow up to be a non-believer), so that you killed the (prospective) non-believer and left the (prospective) believer aside.  

أَنَّ فِي حَدِيثِ حَاتِمٍ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْتُلُ الصِّبْيَانَ فَلاَ تَقْتُلِ الصِّبْيَانَ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ تَعْلَمُ مَا عَلِمَ الْخَضِرُ مِنَ الصَّبِيِّ الَّذِي قَتَلَ وَزَادَ إِسْحَاقُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ عَنْ حَاتِمٍ وَتُمَيِّزَ الْمُؤْمِنَ فَتَقْتُلَ الْكَافِرَ وَتَدَعَ الْمُؤْمِنَ  

Najda b. 'Amir al-Haruri wrote to Ibn Abbas asking him about the slave and the woman as to whether they would get a share from the booty (it they participated in Jihad) ; about the killing of (enemy) children (in war) ; about the orphan as to when his orphanhood comes to an end; about kinsmen (of the Holy Prophet) as to who they are. He said to Yazid: Write to him. (If he were not likely to fall into folly, I would not have written to him.) Write: You have written asking about the woman and the slave whether they would get a share of the booty if they participated in Jihad. (You should know that) there is nothing of the sort for them except that they will be given a prize. And you have written asking me about the killing of the enemy children in war. (You should understand that) the Messenger of Allah (may peare be upon him) did not kill them. and thou shouldst not kill them unless thou knew what the companion of Moses (i. e. Khadir) knew about the boy he had killed. And you have written asking me about the orphan as to when the period of his orphanhood comes to an end, so that the sobriquet of" orphan" is dropped from him. (In this regard, you should know that) the sobriquet" orphan" will not be dropped from him until he attains maturity of body and mind. And you have written asking me about the close relatives (of the Holy Prophet) as to who they are. We think that it is we, but our people have denied us this (position and its concomitant privileges).  

عَنِ الْعَبْدِ وَالْمَرْأَةِ يَحْضُرَانِ الْمَغْنَمَ هَلْ يُقْسَمُ لَهُمَا وَعَنْ قَتْلِ الْوِلْدَانِ وَعَنِ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ وَعَنْ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى مَنْ هُمْ فَقَالَ لِيَزِيدَ اكْتُبْ إِلَيْهِ فَلَوْلاَ أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي أُحْمُوقَةٍ مَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ اكْتُبْ إِنَّكَ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْعَبْدِ يَحْضُرَانِ الْمَغْنَمَ هَلْ يُقْسَمُ لَهُمَا شَىْءٌ وَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُمَا شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُحْذَيَا وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ قَتْلِ الْوِلْدَانِ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَقْتُلْهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فَلاَ تَقْتُلْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ مِنْهُمْ مَا عَلِمَ صَاحِبُ مُوسَى مِنَ الْغُلاَمِ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ اسْمُ الْيُتْمِ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ اسْمُ الْيُتْمِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ وَيُؤْنَسَ مِنْهُ رُشْدٌ وَكَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنْ ذَوِي الْقُرْبَى مَنْ هُمْ وَإِنَّا زَعَمْنَا أَنَّا هُمْ فَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz through another chain of transmitters.  

حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ بِطُولِهِ  

Najda wrote to Ibn Abbas. I was sitting in the company of Ibn 'Abbas when he read his letter and wrote its reply. Ibn Abbas said: Were it not for preventing him from falling into wickedness. I would not have replied to his letter, may he never be joyful. He wrote in reply to him referring to the share of the close relatives (of the Holy Prophet) (from the booty) whom God has mentioned. (I have to tell you that) we thought we were the close relatives of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, but our people have refused to recognise us as such. You have asked about the orphan as to when his orphanhood comes to an end. (I have to say that) when he reaches the age of marriage, attains maturity of mind, and his property is returned to him, then he is no longer an orphan. You have inquired whether the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upo him) used to kill anyone from the children of the polytheists in the war. (You should know that) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used not to kill any one of their children, and you (too) should not kill any one of them, except when you knew about them what Khadir had known about the boy whom he killed. And you have inquired whether there is a fixed share of the booty for women and slaves when they participate in a battle. (I have to tell you that) there is no fixed share for them except that they will be given some reward from the spoils of war.  

عَنْ نَتْنٍ يَقَعُ فِيهِ مَا كَتَبْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَلاَ نُعْمَةَ عَيْنٍ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّكَ سَأَلْتَ عَنْ سَهْمِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى الَّذِي ذَكَرَ اللَّهُ مَنْ هُمْ وَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَرَى أَنَّ قَرَابَةَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ هُمْ نَحْنُ فَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا وَسَأَلْتَ عَنِ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُهُ وَإِنَّهُ إِذَا بَلَغَ النِّكَاحَ وَأُونِسَ مِنْهُ رُشْدٌ وَدُفِعَ إِلَيْهِ مَالُهُ فَقَدِ انْقَضَى يُتْمُهُ وَسَأَلْتَ هَلْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْتُلُ مِنْ صِبْيَانِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ أَحَدًا فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَقْتُلُ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا وَأَنْتَ فَلاَ تَقْتُلْ مِنْهُمْ أَحَدًا إِلاَّ أَنْ تَكُونَ تَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمْ مَا عَلِمَ الْخَضِرُ مِنَ الْغُلاَمِ حِينَ قَتَلَهُ وَسَأَلْتَ عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْعَبْدِ هَلْ كَانَ لَهُمَا سَهْمٌ مَعْلُومٌ إِذَا حَضَرُوا الْبَأْسَ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ سَهْمٌ مَعْلُومٌ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُحْذَيَا مِنْ غَنَائِمِ الْقَوْمِ  

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Yazid b. Hurmuz. but not complete (as we find in the above mentioned ahadith).  

كَتَبَ نَجْدَةُ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فَذَكَرَ بَعْضَ الْحَدِيثِ وَلَمْ يُتِمَّ الْقِصَّةَ كَإِتْمَامِ مَنْ ذَكَرْنَا حَدِيثَهُمْ  

I took part with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in seven battles. I would stay behind in the camp of men, cook their food, treat the wounded and nurse the sick.  

غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ سَبْعَ غَزَوَاتٍ أَخْلُفُهُمْ فِي رِحَالِهِمْ فَأَصْنَعُ لَهُمُ الطَّعَامَ وَأُدَاوِي الْجَرْحَى وَأَقُومُ عَلَى الْمَرْضَى  

A similar tradition has been narrated on the authority of Hisham b. Hassan through a different chain of transmitters.  

حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ