Sahih Muslim , Hadith 1868 ⓘ

It has been narrated on the authority of Ibn 'Umar who said: The Messenger of Allah inspected me on the battlefield on the Day of Uhud, and I was fourteen years old. He did not allow me (to take part in the fight). He inspected me on the Day of Khandaq-and I was fifteen yearsold, and he permitted me (to fight), Nafi' said: I came to 'Umar b. 'Abd al-'Aziz who was then Caliph, and narrated this tradition to him. He said: Surely, this is the demarcation between a minor and a major. So he wrote to his governors that they should pay subsistence allowance to one who was fifteen years old, but should treat those of lesser age among children.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ عَرَضَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ فِي الْقِتَالِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَلَمْ يُجِزْنِي وَعَرَضَنِي يَوْمَ الْخَنْدَقِ وَأَنَا ابْنُ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَأَجَازَنِي ‏.‏ قَالَ نَافِعٌ فَقَدِمْتُ عَلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ وَهُوَ يَوْمَئِذٍ خَلِيفَةٌ فَحَدَّثْتُهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا لَحَدٌّ بَيْنَ الصَّغِيرِ وَالْكَبِيرِ ‏.‏ فَكَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَّالِهِ أَنْ يَفْرِضُوا لِمَنْ كَانَ ابْنَ خَمْسَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً وَمَنْ كَانَ دُونَ ذَلِكَ فَاجْعَلُوهُ فِي الْعِيَالِ ‏.‏

This tradition has been handed down through a different chain Of transmitters with the following change in the wording: " I was fourteen years old and he thought me too young (to participate in the fight)."

وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحِيمِ بْنُ، سُلَيْمَانَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ، - يَعْنِي الثَّقَفِيَّ - جَمِيعًا عَنْ عُبَيْدِ، اللَّهِ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ غَيْرَ أَنَّ فِي حَدِيثِهِمْ وَأَنَا ابْنُ أَرْبَعَ عَشْرَةَ سَنَةً فَاسْتَصْغَرَنِي ‏.‏