When Sahl bin Hunaif returned from (the battle of) Siffin, we went to ask him (as to why he had come back). He replied, "(You should not consider me a coward) but blame your opinions. I saw myself on the day of Abu Jandal (inclined to fight), and if I had the power of refusing the order of Allah's Apostle then, I would have refused it (and fought the infidels bravely). Allah and His Apostle know (what is convenient) better. Whenever we put our swords on our shoulders for any matter that terrified us, our swords led us to an easy agreeable solution before the present situation (of disagreement and dispute between the Muslims). When we mend the breach in one side, it opened in another, and we do not know what to do about it."  

اتَّهِمُوا الرَّأْىَ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَمْرَهُ لَرَدَدْتُ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ وَمَا وَضَعْنَا أَسْيَافَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا لأَمْرٍ يُفْظِعُنَا إِلاَّ أَسْهَلْنَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ قَبْلَ هَذَا الأَمْرِ مَا نَسُدُّ مِنْهَا خُصْمًا إِلاَّ انْفَجَرَ عَلَيْنَا خُصْمٌ مَا نَدْرِي كَيْفَ نَأْتِي لَهُ  

I asked Abu Wail, "Did you witness the battle of Siffin between ʿAli and Muawiya?" He said, "Yes," and added, "Then I heard Sahl bin Hunaif saying, 'O people! Blame your personal opinions in your religion. No doubt, I remember myself on the day of Abi Jandal; if I had the power to refuse the order of Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would have refused it. We have never put our swords on our shoulders to get involved in a situation that might have been horrible for us, but those swords brought us to victory and peace, except this present situation.' " Abu Wail said, "I witnessed the battle of Siffin, and how nasty Siffin was!"  

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا وَائِلٍ هَلْ شَهِدْتَ صِفِّينَ قَالَ نَعَمْ فَسَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ حُنَيْفٍ يَقُولُ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ قَالَ قَالَ سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّهِمُوا رَأْيَكُمْ عَلَى دِينِكُمْ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنَّ أَرُدَّ أَمْرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَرَدَدْتُهُ وَمَا وَضَعْنَا سُيُوفَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ يُفْظِعُنَا إِلاَّ أَسْهَلْنَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ غَيْرَ هَذَا الأَمْرِ قَالَ وَقَالَ أَبُو وَائِلٍ شَهِدْتُ صِفِّينَ وَبِئْسَتْ صِفُّونَ  

I heard Sahl b. 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 ﷺ (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"  

أَنْ أَرُدَّ أَمْرَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَرَدَدْتُهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا وَضَعْنَا سُيُوفَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ قَطُّ إِلاَّ أَسْهَلْنَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ أَمْرَكُمْ هَذَا لَمْ يَذْكُرِ ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ إِلَى أَمْرٍ قَطُّ  

[Machine] Sahl ibn Hunaif on the day of Siffin said, "O people, accuse your opinion over your religion. For indeed, I have seen us while we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and if we were able to refute him, we would have done so. And we have not placed our swords on our shoulders in a matter except it was easy for us to go to a matter that we know other than our own matter. And I have seen us on the day of Abi Jandal, and if we were able to refute the command of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , we would have done so."  

سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ يَوْمَ صِفِّينَ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّهِمُوا الرَّأْيَ عَلَى الدِّينِ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا وَنَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَلَوْ نَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ نَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ لَرَدَدْنَا وَمَا جَعَلْنَا سُيُوفَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا فِي أَمْرٍ إِلَّا سَهُلَ لَنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ غَيْرَ أَمْرِنَا هَذَا وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ نَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ نَرُدَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَمْرَهُ لَرَدَدْنَاهُ»  

I heard Sahl b. 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 ﷺ (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" (Using translation from Muslim 1785b)   

أَنْ أَرُدَّ أَمْرَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَرَدَدْتُهُ وَاللهِ مَا وَضَعْنَا سُيُوفَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا أَسْهَلَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا أَمْرَكُمْ هَذَا»  

[Machine] "O people, rely on your own judgment, for by Allah, we will not take you to a decision that does not please us, except that which is easier for us and we know. This matter of yours will not increase except in difficulty and confusion. If you were to see me on the day of Abi Jandal, even if I found supporters for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I would deny it."  

سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّهِمُوا رَأْيَكُمْ فَإِنَّا وَاللهِ مَا أَخَذْنَا بِقَوَائِمِهِنَّ إِلَى أَمْرٍ يَقْطَعُنَا إِلَّا أَسْهَلَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلَّا أَمْرَكُمْ هَذَا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَزْدَادُ إِلَّا شِدَّةً ولَبْسًا فَلَوْ رَأَيْتُنِي يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ أَجِدُ أَعْوَانًا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَأَنْكَرْتُ»