Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari 2804
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا سُفْيَانَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ هِرَقْلَ قَالَ لَهُ سَأَلْتُكَ كَيْفَ كَانَ قِتَالُكُمْ إِيَّاهُ فَزَعَمْتَ أَنَّ الْحَرْبَ سِجَالٌ وَدُوَلٌ، فَكَذَلِكَ الرُّسُلُ تُبْتَلَى ثُمَّ تَكُونُ لَهُمُ الْعَاقِبَةُ.
Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us; al-Layth narrated to us, who said: Yunus told me, from Ibn Shihab, from ʿUbayd Allah ibn ʿAbd Allah, that ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas told him that Abu Sufyan told him: Heraclius said to Abu Sufyan, “I asked you how your battles with him went, and you said victory alternated between you. Such is the case with messengers: they are tested, but the final outcome is theirs.”
Translation notes
Rendered “the war went by turns” as alternating victories, matching the exchange with Heraclius.