Messenger of Allah ﷺ called me to present myself in front of him or the eve of the battle of Uhud, while I was fourteen years of age at that time, and he did not allow me to take part in that battle, but he called me in front of him on the eve of the battle of the Trench when I was fifteen years old, and he allowed me (to join the battle)." Nafiʿ said, "I went to ʿUmar bin ʿAbdul ʿAziz who was Caliph at that time and related the above narration to him, He said, "This age (fifteen) is the limit between childhood and manhood," and wrote to his governors to give salaries to those who reached the age of fifteen.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَرَضَهُ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَهْوَ ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَلَمْ يُجِزْنِي ثُمَّ عَرَضَنِي يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ فَأَجَازَنِي قَالَ نَافِعٌ فَقَدِمْتُ عَلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَهْوَ خَلِيفَةٌ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَحَدٌّ بَيْنَ الصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ وَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَّالِهِ أَنْ يَفْرِضُوا لِمَنْ بَلَغَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ  

“I was presented to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on the day of Uhud, when I was fourteen years old, but he did not permit me (to fight). I was presented to him on the Day of Khandaq when I was fifteen years old, and he permitted me (to fight).' ”  

عُرِضْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَأَنَا ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَلَمْ يُجِزْنِي وَعُرِضْتُ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَأَجَازَنِي قَالَ نَافِعٌ فَحَدَّثْتُ بِهِ عُمَرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ فِي خِلاَفَتِهِ فَقَالَ هَذَا فَصْلُ مَا بَيْنَ الصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ  

"عن ابن عمر قال: جَاءَ بِى أَبِى يَوْمَ أُحُد إِلَى رَسُولِ الله ﷺ وَأَنَا ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَلَمْ يُجِزْني وَلَمْ يُرِني النَّبِىَّ ﷺ ثُمَّ جَاءَ بِى يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ خَمْسَ عَشْرةَ سَنَةً فَفَرضَ لِى رَسُولُ اللهَ ﷺ ".