It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Wa'il who said: Sahal bin Hunaif stood up on the Day of Siffin and said: O ye people, blame yourselves (for want of discretion); we were with the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) on the Day of Hudaibiya. If we had thought it fit to fight, we could fight. This was in the truce between the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and the polytheists. Umar bin Khattab came, approached the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) and said: Messenger of Allah, aren't we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: By all means. He asked: Are not those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed from their side in the Fire? He replied: Yes. He said: Then why should we put a blot upon our religion and return, while Allah has not decided the issue between them and ourselves? He said: Son of Khattab, I am the Messenger of Allah. Allah will never ruin me. (The narrator said): Umar went away, but he could not contain himself with rage. So he approached Abu Bakr (RA) and said: 'Abu Bakr, aren't we fighting for truth and they for falsehood? He replied: Yes. He asked: Aren't those killed from our side in Paradise and those killed from their side in the Fire? He replied: Why not? He (then) said: Why should we then disgrace our religion and return while God has not yet decided the issue between them and ourselves? Abu Bakr (RA) said: Son of Khattab, verily, he is the Messenger of Allah, and Allah will never ruin him. (The narrator continued): At this (a Sura of) the Qur'an (giving glad tidings of the victory) was revealed to the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) . He sent for Umar and made him read it. He asked: Is (this truce) a victory? He (the Messenger of Allah) ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) replied: Yes. At this Umar was pleased, and returned.

It has been narrated on the authority of Shaqiq who said: I heard Sahl bin Hunaif say at Siffin: O ye people, find fault with your (own) discretion. By Allah, on the Day of Abu Jandal (i. e. the day of Hudaibiya), I thought to myself that, if I could, I would reverse the order of the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) (the terms of the truce being unpalatable). By Allah, we have never hung our swords on our shoulders in any situation whatsoever except when they made easy for us to realise the goal envisaged by us, but this battle of yours (seems to be an exception). Ibn Numair (in his version) did not mention the words: "In any situation whatsoever".

The same tradition has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of A'mash. This version contains the words: Ila amrin yofzi'una instead of Ila amrin na'rifuhu.

It has been narrated through a different chain of transmitters on the authority of Abu Wa'il who said: I heard Sahl bin Hunaif say at Siffin: Blame (the hollowness) of your views about your religion. I thought to myself on the day of Abu Jandal that if I could turn down the order of the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , I would. The situation was so difficult that if we mended it at one place, it was rent at another.