My Ummah Will Break Up Into 73

So the reason, again, as already said, is that there are a lot of these ideas today, and that is why it is important that we know. It also benefits us in the sense that we can learn from this how strong Islam is. The true monotheism, the true way of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah, is so strong that it has withstood the test of time, and it has been able to subdue all of these challenges. But these challenges continue to come up, because Shayṭān is still around, and free.

And it was never promised to us that the whole of the Ummah would have ittifāq on one thing, and would have agreement on one thing. In fact, the one duʿāʾ of the Prophet (peace be upon him) that was not accepted, and he mentioned that very clearly, was that his Ummah should never differ among themselves. That was not accepted. In fact, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that the nations before us divided into 72 sects, and that this nation will divide into one more, 73 sects.

This is a hadith related by al-Tirmidhī: "Verily, Banū Isrāʾīl broke up into 72 factions, and my Ummah will break up into 73, all of whom will be in the Fire except one." The Companions asked: "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "Those who are on my way and that of my Companions": those who are on his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his Companions; the way of his Companions. This is a very important hadith.

So there are a lot of people who, when they see this bickering around us, and the various different ideologies, and the differences of opinion, and then the debates and arguments that go on about this, say (and rightly, to a certain degree): why can't it all be one? Why can't there be an agreement? Of course, we have to strive for unity; we have to strive for good relations and a common platform. But at the end of the day, when we see differences, that should not depress us to such a degree that we stop working for the good cause. That is what is important. We have to take it for granted; but at the same time we should not be fatalistic either: this is going to happen, let it happen; fine, you have your own way. We should try to reconcile, and try to get everybody onto the same platform. But that is a challenge of this world, because at the end of the day it is not paradise. It is not paradise.

The scholars who have actually studied this hadith, and then researched the various groups (some of those described above, and their subgroups), have come up with a listing of the 73 groups: the Shīʿah had this many, and the Muʿtazilah had this many, and the Khawārij had this, and that, and the other. They have done that. But they did this a long time back: ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Baghdādī, al-Shahrastānī and others did this a long time back. And there are new groups coming up all the time. There is a new group right now who are very proud of calling themselves the progressives. There are numerous groups that come up all the time.