Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَاسْتَحْيُوا شَرْخَهُمْ قَالَ عَبْد اللَّهِ سَأَلْتُ أَبِي عَنْ تَفْسِيرِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَالَ يَقُولُ الشَّيْخُ لَا يَكَادُ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ وَالشَّابُّ أَيْ يُسْلِمُ كَأَنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ مِنْ الشَّيْخِ قَالَ الشَّرْخُ الشَّبَابُ.
English Translation
Abu Mu'awiyah told us, al-Hajjaj told us, from Qatadah, from al-Hasan, from Samurah ibn Jundub, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Kill the old men of the polytheists and spare their youths. Abd Allah said: I asked my father about the meaning of this hadith, 'Kill the old men of the polytheists.' He said: It means the old man scarcely ever accepts Islam, whereas the young man is more likely to accept Islam, being nearer to it than the old man. He said: al-sharkh means the youths.