Sahih al-Bukhari 2664
Sahih al-Bukhari · Book 52: Witnesses · The boys attaining the age of puberty and their witness
Narrated Ibn `Umar:
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ عُمَرَ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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.
Allah's Messenger (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)." Nafi` said, "I went to `Umar bin `Abdul `Aziz 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.