[Machine] We were on an expedition, and we were victorious and killed among the polytheists until they were completely defeated. The news of the killing reached the Prophet ﷺ and he said, "What is happening to these people that the killing has reached even their offspring? Shouldn't their offspring be spared?" It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah, aren't they the children of the polytheists?" He said, "Aren't your best ones the children of the polytheists?"  

كُنَّا فِي غَزَاةٍ لَنَا فَأَصَبْنَا ظَفَرًا وَقَتَّلْنَا فِي الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ بِهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى أَنْ قَتَلُوا الذُّرِّيَّةَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مَا بَالُ أَقْوَامٍ بَلَغَ بِهِمُ الْقَتْلُ إِلَى أَنْ قَتَلُوا الذُّرِّيَّةَ؟ أَلَا لَا تُقْتَلَنَّ ذُرِّيَّةٌ أَلَا لَا تُقْتَلَنَّ ذُرِّيَّةٌ» قِيلَ لِمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَلَيْسَ هُمْ أَوْلَادُ الْمُشْرِكِينَ؟ قَالَ «أَوَلَيْسَ خِيَارُكُمْ أَوْلَادَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ؟»  

[Machine] "That I fall into a foolish question, I write, O Yazid, you asked me about the children. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not kill them, so do not kill them unless you know from them what the companion of Musa (Moses) knew. As for the relatives, we claim that "we are them" and our people refuse to accept that. As for the orphan, his wealth will be depleted once he reaches maturity and becomes independent. As for the slave and the woman, they do not have anything."  

أَنْ يَقَعَ فِي أُحْمُوقَةٍ مَا أَجَبْتُهُ اكْتُبْ يَا يَزِيدُ كَتَبْتَ تَسْأَلُنِي عَنِ الْوِلْدَانِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ لَمْ يَقْتُلْهُمْ فَلَا تَقْتُلْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكُونَ تَعْلَمُ مِنْهُمْ مَا عَلِمَ صَاحِبُ مُوسَى وَأَمَّا ذَوُو الْقُرْبَى فَإِنَّا نَزْعُمُ أَنَا نَحْنُ هُمْ وَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا وَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمُ يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُهُ إِذَا آنَسَ مِنْهُ رِشْدًا وَأَمَّا الْعَبْدُ وَالْمَرْأَةُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُمَا شَيْءٌ