Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that on the day of the Battle of Uhud, I was presented to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) to participate in jihad. At that time, I was fourteen years old. I was considered too young and was sent back. Then, on the day of the Battle of Khandaq, I was presented again. At that time, I was fifteen years old, so I was granted permission. Hazrat Nafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says that when Hazrat Umar bin Abdul Aziz was the caliph, I narrated this tradition to him. He said: Indeed, this is a boundary between minor and adult. Then he wrote to his governors: Whoever is fifteen years old should be appointed for jihad, and whoever is younger than that should be assigned to family duties.