عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ وَاسْتَحْيُوا شَرْخَهُمْ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ سَأَلْتُ أَبِي عَنْ تَفْسِيرِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ قَالَ يَقُولُ الشَّيْخُ لَا يَكَادُ أَنْ يُسْلِمَ وَالشَّابُّ أَيْ يُسْلِمُ كَأَنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ مِنَ الشَّيْخِ قَالَ الشَّرْخُ الشَّبَابُ
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Kill the brave and strong men of the polytheists who fight, and leave the minor children. Abdullah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: I asked my father, Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him), about the explanation of the hadith "Kill the elders of the polytheists," and he said: The issue with the elder is that it is unlikely that he will become a Muslim, whereas the boy is closer to accepting Islam than the elder. By "al-sharh" is meant the boys.