The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to al-Hasan ibn Ali. This son of mine is a Sayyid (chief), and I hope Allah may reconcile two parties of my community by means of him. Hammad's version has: And perhaps Allah may reconcile two large parties of Muslims by means of him.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ إِنَّ ابْنِي هَذَا سَيِّدٌ وَإِنِّي أَرْجُو أَنْ يُصْلِحَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنْ أُمَّتِي وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ حَمَّادٍ وَلَعَلَّ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُصْلِحَ بِهِ بَيْنَ فِئَتَيْنِ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عَظِيمَتَيْنِ  

There is no one who will be overtaken by trial regarding whom I do not fear except Muhammad ibn Maslamah, for I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Trial will not harm you.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لاَ تَضُرُّكَ الْفِتْنَةُ  

We entered upon Hudhaifah. He said: I know a man whom the trails will not harm. We came out and found that a tent was pitched. We entered and found in it Muhammad b. Maslamah. We asked him about it. He said : I do not intent that any place of your towns should occupy me until that which is prevailing is removed.  

إِنِّي لأَعْرِفُ رَجُلاً لاَ تَضُرُّهُ الْفِتَنُ شَيْئًا قَالَ فَخَرَجْنَا فَإِذَا فُسْطَاطٌ مَضْرُوبٌ فَدَخَلْنَا فَإِذَا فِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ مَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ يَشْتَمِلَ عَلَىَّ شَىْءٌ مِنْ أَمْصَارِكُمْ حَتَّى تَنْجَلِيَ عَمَّا انْجَلَتْ  

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Dubai’ah b. Husain al-Tha’labi through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.  

عَنْ ضُبَيْعَةَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ الثَّعْلَبِيِّ بِمَعْنَاهُ  

I said to ‘All (Allah be pleased with him) : Tell me about this march of yours. Is this an order that the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) had given you, or is this your opinion that you have? He said: The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) did not give me any order; but this is an opinion that I have.  

قُلْتُ لِعَلِيٍّ ؓ أَخْبِرْنَا عَنْ مَسِيرِكَ هَذَا أَعَهْدٌ عَهِدَهُ إِلَيْكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمْ رَأْىٌ رَأَيْتَهُ فَقَالَ مَا عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِشَىْءٍ وَلَكِنَّهُ رَأْىٌ رَأَيْتُهُ  

In the event of the dissension among Muslims an emerging sect will emerge ; one of the two parties that is nearer to the truth will kill it.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَمْرُقُ مَارِقَةٌ عِنْدَ فُرْقَةٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ يَقْتُلُهَا أَوْلَى الطَّائِفَتَيْنِ بِالْحَقِّ