Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ هُرْمُزَ أَنَّ نَجْدَةَ كَتَبَ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ سَهْمِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى لِمَنْ هُوَ وَعَنْ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُهُ وَعَنْ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْعَبْدِ يَشْهَدَانِ الْغَنِيمَةَ وَعَنْ قَتْلِ أَطْفَالِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَرُدَّهُ عَنْ شَيْءٍ يَقَعُ فِيهِ مَا أَجَبْتُهُ وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّكَ كَتَبْتَ إِلَيَّ تَسْأَلُ عَنْ سَهْمِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى لِمَنْ هُوَ وَإِنَّا كُنَّا نَرَاهَا لِقَرَابَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَبَى ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا قَوْمُنَا وَعَنْ الْيَتِيمِ مَتَى يَنْقَضِي يُتْمُهُ قَالَ إِذَا احْتَلَمَ أَوْ أُونِسَ مِنْهُ خَيْرٌ وَعَنْ الْمَرْأَةِ وَالْعَبْدِ يَشْهَدَانِ الْغَنِيمَةَ فَلَا شَيْءَ لَهُمَا وَلَكِنَّهُمَا يُحْذَيَانِ وَيُعْطَيَانِ وَعَنْ قَتْلِ أَطْفَالِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَقْتُلْهُمْ وَأَنْتَ فَلَا تَقْتُلْهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ تَعْلَمَ مِنْهُمْ مَا عَلِمَ الْخَضِرُ مِنْ الْغُلَامِ حِينَ قَتَلَهُ.
English Translation
Najdah wrote to Ibn Abbas asking about the share of the near relatives (in the spoils) — for whom it is, about the orphan — when his orphanhood ends, about the woman and the slave who witness the battle — whether they receive a share, and about killing the children of the polytheists. Ibn Abbas said: 'Were it not that I might prevent him from falling into something, I would not have answered him.' He wrote to him: 'You asked about the share of the near relatives — we used to consider it for the relatives of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), but our people rejected that. As for the orphan — his orphanhood ends when he reaches puberty or when goodness is perceived in him. As for the woman and the slave who witness the battle — they have no share (of the spoils), but they may be given something. As for killing the children of the polytheists — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not kill them, so do not kill them unless you know about them what al-Khidr knew about the boy when he killed him.'