It is narrated from Abu al-Gharif; he said: We were twelve thousand men in the vanguard of Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both), and our swords were dripping with keenness and fervour to fight the people of Sham. Our commander was Abu al-Amratah. When the news of the peace between Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali and Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with them both) reached us, it felt, from the intensity of our anger and grief, as though our backs had been broken. Then when Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali came to Kufah, a man from among us whose kunyah was Abu Amir, Sufyan bin Layl, stood up before him and said: O humiliator of the believers, peace be upon you! Sayyiduna Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Abu Amir, do not say that. I did not humiliate the believers; rather, I disliked having them (the Muslims) killed for the sake of gaining power."

It is narrated from al-Sha'bi that when Sayyiduna Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with them both) made peace with Mu'awiyah, he addressed us at al-Nukhaylah. He stood up, praised and extolled Allah, and then said: "Indeed, the greatest of wisdom is piety (taqwa), and the greatest of incapacity is sin and disobedience. And indeed this matter over which Mu'awiyah and I differed was either the right of a man who was more entitled to it than I, or it was my right which I gave up to Mu'awiyah for the sake of the welfare of the Muslims and to spare their blood. 'And I do not know; perhaps it is a trial for you and an enjoyment for a time' [Surah al-Anbiya: 111] . I say these words of mine, and I seek Allah's forgiveness for myself and for you."