Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ كَتَبَ نَجْدَةُ الْحَرُورِيُّ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ قَتْلِ الصِّبْيَانِ وَعَنْ الْخُمُسِ لِمَنْ هُوَ وَعَنْ الصَّبِيِّ مَتَى يَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ وَعَنْ النِّسَاءِ هَلْ كَانَ يَخْرُجُ بِهِنَّ أَوْ يَحْضُرْنَ الْقِتَالَ وَعَنْ الْعَبْدِ هَلْ لَهُ فِي الْمَغْنَمِ نَصِيبٌ قَالَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ أَمَّا الصِّبْيَانُ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ الْخَضِرَ تَعْرِفُ الْكَافِرَ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِ فَاقْتُلْهُمْ وَأَمَّا الْخُمُسُ فَكُنَّا نَقُولُ إِنَّهُ لَنَا فَزَعَمَ قَوْمُنَا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَنَا وَأَمَّا النِّسَاءُ فَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَخْرُجُ مَعَهُ بِالنِّسَاءِ فَيُدَاوِينَ الْمَرْضَى وَيَقُمْنَ عَلَى الْجَرْحَى وَلَا يَحْضُرْنَ الْقِتَالَ وَأَمَّا الصَّبِيُّ فَيَنْقَطِعُ عَنْهُ الْيُتْمُ إِذَا احْتَلَمَ وَأَمَّا الْعَبْدُ فَلَيْسَ لَهُ مِنْ الْمَغْنَمِ نَصِيبٌ وَلَكِنَّهُ قَدْ كَانَ يُرْضَخُ لَهُمْ.
English Translation
Ibn 'Abbas wrote in reply to Najdah al-Haruri, who asked about killing children, about the khums (one-fifth), about when orphanhood ends for a child, about whether women went out to battle, and about whether slaves have a share of war spoils. Ibn 'Abbas wrote: As for children, if you are al-Khidr and can distinguish the disbeliever from the believer, then kill them. As for the khums, we used to say it belongs to us, but our people denied that. As for women, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to take them along — they would treat the sick and tend the wounded, but did not participate in fighting. As for the child, orphanhood ends when he reaches puberty. As for the slave, he has no share of the spoils, but they used to be given a small portion.