Reports on children

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about two of her children who had died in the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They will both go to Hell." When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw displeasure on her face, he said: "If you were to see their place, you would detest them." Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O Messenger of Allah, and my children from you (who died in infancy)?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They will go to Paradise." The narrator says: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the Muslims and their children will go to Paradise, and the polytheists and their children will go to Hell." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "Indeed, those who believed and whose offspring followed them in faith, We will join their offspring with them."
Abdullah bin Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Muhammad bin Uthman, whom I do not know, and the remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she mentioned the children of the polytheists before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you wish, I will let you hear the sound of their wailing in Hell."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Abu Aqil Yahya bin al-Mutawakkil, whom the majority of the Imams, namely Ahmad and others, and Yahya bin Ma'in declared da'if (weak); according to one narration, his being declared trustworthy is also reported from Yahya bin Ma'in.

Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I said: "O Messenger of Allah, where will my children from you be?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In Paradise." I asked: "Without any deeds?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah knows best what they would have done." I asked: "Where will my children from before you be?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "In Hell." I said: "Without any deeds?" He said: "Allah Almighty knows what they would have done."
Al-Tabarani and Abu Ya'la recorded it, and the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy), except that Abdullah bin al-Harith bin Nawfal and Ibn Buraydah, neither of them lived in the time of Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: Previously I held the opinion about the children of the polytheists that they would also be counted among them. Then a man told me something on the authority of one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I met that Companion, and he told me on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Their Lord knows best about them; He created them, and He knows best about them and about what they would have done."

In one narration the words are: "So I withdrew from my position."
Ahmad recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was taking part in a battle. A man asked him: "O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about those who are absorbed in play (that is, those who die in childhood)?" The narrator says: He remained silent and gave him no answer. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished that battle, he saw while going around that a child had fallen and was lying smeared (in dust and blood) on the ground. He called out to his herald and said: "Where is the man who asked about the children?" The man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade the killing of children, and then said: "Allah Almighty knows best what they would have done, and this child is also among them."
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat; its chain contains Hilal bin Khabbab, who is thiqah (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about him, and the remaining narrators of this report are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every child that is born is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition) until he begins to speak (that is, until he reaches maturity). When he begins to speak, he is either grateful or disbelieving."
Ahmad recorded it; its chain contains Abu Ja'far al-Razi, who is thiqah (trustworthy), though there is disagreement about him, and the remaining narrators of this report are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Samurah bin Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every child is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition), but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains Abbad bin Mansur, who is da'if (weak), and it is reported from Yahya al-Qattan that he declared him trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) relates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every child is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition), and his parents make him a Jew or a Christian."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains Abbad bin Mansur, who is da'if (weak), and it is reported from Yahya al-Qattan that he declared him trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) relates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Every child is born upon the fitrah (natural disposition); his parents make him a Jew or a Christian."
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains more than one narrator whom I do not know.
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: the hadith of Sayyiduna al-Aswad bin Sari' (may Allah be pleased with him) and others has already passed, concerning the prohibition of killing women and children during war.