حَدَّثَنَا
أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا
الْحَجَّاجُ ، عَنْ
قَتَادَةَ ، عَنِ
الْحَسَنِ ، عَنْ
سَمُرَةَ بْنِ جُنْدُبٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :
" اقْتُلُوا شُيُوخَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ ، وَاسْتَحْيُوا شَرْخَهُمْ " , قَالَ عَبْد 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 Hazrat Samurah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Kill the elderly among the polytheists and keep their youth alive." The son of Imam Ahmad says that I asked my father for an explanation of this hadith, so he said: "An old man generally does not accept Islam, whereas a young man does; thus, the young are closer to Islam compared to the old."