سنن ابي داود
Abu Dawud
كتاب السنةModel Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)
باب شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِChapter: Explanation of the Sunnah.
Hadith 4596
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " افْتَرَقَتْ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً ، وَتَفَرَّقَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً ، وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً " .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: The Prophet ﷺ said: The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
Allamah Abu Mansur Abdul Qahir Tamimi writes in the explanation of this hadith that "There is no disagreement among those jurists whose ijtihad is based on understanding the Sunnah, that they give opinions regarding the permissibility (halal) or impermissibility (haram) of things based on their respective ijtihad. Rather, the division referred to here is the fundamental differences that became apparent in issues such as tawhid (monotheism), predestination (qadar), the conditions of prophethood and messengership, love for hadith, and love and loyalty (muwaalaat) towards the Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'een), etc., and in these matters, they declared each other disbelievers (kafir).
Whereas, in issues of a juristic (fiqhi) nature, no one declared another to be a disbeliever.
" (Awn al-Ma'bood)
Allamah Abu Mansur Abdul Qahir Tamimi writes in the explanation of this hadith that "There is no disagreement among those jurists whose ijtihad is based on understanding the Sunnah, that they give opinions regarding the permissibility (halal) or impermissibility (haram) of things based on their respective ijtihad. Rather, the division referred to here is the fundamental differences that became apparent in issues such as tawhid (monotheism), predestination (qadar), the conditions of prophethood and messengership, love for hadith, and love and loyalty (muwaalaat) towards the Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'een), etc., and in these matters, they declared each other disbelievers (kafir).
Whereas, in issues of a juristic (fiqhi) nature, no one declared another to be a disbeliever.
" (Awn al-Ma'bood)
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 4596
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
In some hadiths, it is mentioned that my ummah will split into seventy-three sects,
out of them, seventy-two will be destined for Hell,
only one sect will be destined for Paradise.
Who are these sects of the ummah? The author of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi has written in his explanation that the condemned sects are not those who differ in subsidiary (furu‘i) issues,
rather, what is meant are those sects who differ with the people of truth in fundamental (usuli) matters,
such as monotheism (tawhid),
predestination (qadar),
the conditions of prophethood, and loyalty to the Companions (radi Allahu anhum), etc.
Because these are such issues in which those who differ have declared each other disbelievers (takfir), whereas those who differ in subsidiary issues do not declare each other disbelievers.
By the sect destined for Paradise is meant those people who adhere to the Book and the Sunnah, and who, with love for the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum), follow in their footsteps.
1:
In some hadiths, it is mentioned that my ummah will split into seventy-three sects,
out of them, seventy-two will be destined for Hell,
only one sect will be destined for Paradise.
Who are these sects of the ummah? The author of Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi has written in his explanation that the condemned sects are not those who differ in subsidiary (furu‘i) issues,
rather, what is meant are those sects who differ with the people of truth in fundamental (usuli) matters,
such as monotheism (tawhid),
predestination (qadar),
the conditions of prophethood, and loyalty to the Companions (radi Allahu anhum), etc.
Because these are such issues in which those who differ have declared each other disbelievers (takfir), whereas those who differ in subsidiary issues do not declare each other disbelievers.
By the sect destined for Paradise is meant those people who adhere to the Book and the Sunnah, and who, with love for the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum), follow in their footsteps.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 2640
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
The Saved Sect «السواد الاعظم» refers to the group of truth among the Companions, the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the Followers of the Followers (Atba‘ al-Tabi‘in)
In a hadith, it is mentioned that the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will split into seventy-three (73) sects, of which only one will be destined for Paradise and all the remaining sects will be destined for Hell. This has been narrated by the following noble Companions:
a: ‘Awf ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابن ماجه: 3992 وسنده حسن]
b: Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan radi Allahu anhu [سنن أبى داود: 4597 وسنده حسن]
c: Abu Umamah radi Allahu anhu [المعجم الكبير للطبراني 8/321 ح 8035 وسنده حسن، السنن الكبريٰ للبيهقي 8/ 188، و سنده حسن]
In the last narration, the Saved Sect «السواد الاعظم» is specified, and in the hadith of our master Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu, the word «الجماعة» is used. By all of these, what is meant is the group of truth among the Companions, the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the Followers of the Followers (Atba‘ al-Tabi‘in), and this is precisely «السواد الاعظم». Also see: [كتاب الشريعة الآجري ص 14، 15، نسخة أخريٰ ص 17]
After the best generations have passed, it is just as incorrect for some innovators in the worst of generations to claim themselves as the “great majority” (sawad a‘zam) as it would be for a rightly guided Muslim living in a region with a majority of misguided people, where the majority considers themselves to be upon the truth in opposition to him.
In the hadith narrated from our master Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, it is mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِيْ عَلَي ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً»
“And my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects.”
[سنن الترمذي: 2640 وَقَالَ: حَدِيْثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيْحٌ“ وَ سَنَدُهُ حَسَنٌ وصححه ابن حبان: 1834، والحاكم 1/128، عليٰ شرط مسلم ووافقه الذهبي !]
All three or four of these narrations, in terms of their meaning, are sahih li ghayrihi (authentic due to corroborating evidence), and in fact, some scholars have declared the hadith regarding the seventy-three sects to be mutawatir (mass-transmitted). See: [نظم المتناثر من الحديث المتواتر للكتاني ص57 ح 18]
After mentioning some narrations regarding the sects, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Ajurri rahimahullah (d. 360 AH) says:
«رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا حَذِرَ هَذِهِ الْفِرَقَ، وَجَانَبَ الْبِدَعَ وَاتبع وَلَمْ يَبْتَدِعْ، وَلَزِمَ الْأَثَرَ وَطَلَبَ الطَّرِيقَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، وَاسْتَعَانَ بِمَوْلَاهُ الْكَرِيمِ»
“May Allah have mercy on the servant who warned against these sects and kept away from innovations, who followed (the Sunnah) and did not follow innovations, who adhered to the traditions (athar) and sought the straight path, and who sought help from his Noble Master (Allah).”
[الشريعة ص 18، دوسرانسخه ص 20 قبل ح 30]
. . . For the original article, see . . .
Monthly Al-Hadith, Issue 47, page 4, and Adwa’ al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, hadith numbers 140 and 141
In a hadith, it is mentioned that the Ummah of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will split into seventy-three (73) sects, of which only one will be destined for Paradise and all the remaining sects will be destined for Hell. This has been narrated by the following noble Companions:
a: ‘Awf ibn Malik radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابن ماجه: 3992 وسنده حسن]
b: Mu‘awiyah ibn Abi Sufyan radi Allahu anhu [سنن أبى داود: 4597 وسنده حسن]
c: Abu Umamah radi Allahu anhu [المعجم الكبير للطبراني 8/321 ح 8035 وسنده حسن، السنن الكبريٰ للبيهقي 8/ 188، و سنده حسن]
In the last narration, the Saved Sect «السواد الاعظم» is specified, and in the hadith of our master Mu‘awiyah radi Allahu anhu, the word «الجماعة» is used. By all of these, what is meant is the group of truth among the Companions, the Followers (Tabi‘in), and the Followers of the Followers (Atba‘ al-Tabi‘in), and this is precisely «السواد الاعظم». Also see: [كتاب الشريعة الآجري ص 14، 15، نسخة أخريٰ ص 17]
After the best generations have passed, it is just as incorrect for some innovators in the worst of generations to claim themselves as the “great majority” (sawad a‘zam) as it would be for a rightly guided Muslim living in a region with a majority of misguided people, where the majority considers themselves to be upon the truth in opposition to him.
In the hadith narrated from our master Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu, it is mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
«وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِيْ عَلَي ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً»
“And my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects.”
[سنن الترمذي: 2640 وَقَالَ: حَدِيْثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيْحٌ“ وَ سَنَدُهُ حَسَنٌ وصححه ابن حبان: 1834، والحاكم 1/128، عليٰ شرط مسلم ووافقه الذهبي !]
All three or four of these narrations, in terms of their meaning, are sahih li ghayrihi (authentic due to corroborating evidence), and in fact, some scholars have declared the hadith regarding the seventy-three sects to be mutawatir (mass-transmitted). See: [نظم المتناثر من الحديث المتواتر للكتاني ص57 ح 18]
After mentioning some narrations regarding the sects, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Ajurri rahimahullah (d. 360 AH) says:
«رَحِمَ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا حَذِرَ هَذِهِ الْفِرَقَ، وَجَانَبَ الْبِدَعَ وَاتبع وَلَمْ يَبْتَدِعْ، وَلَزِمَ الْأَثَرَ وَطَلَبَ الطَّرِيقَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ، وَاسْتَعَانَ بِمَوْلَاهُ الْكَرِيمِ»
“May Allah have mercy on the servant who warned against these sects and kept away from innovations, who followed (the Sunnah) and did not follow innovations, who adhered to the traditions (athar) and sought the straight path, and who sought help from his Noble Master (Allah).”
[الشريعة ص 18، دوسرانسخه ص 20 قبل ح 30]
. . . For the original article, see . . .
Monthly Al-Hadith, Issue 47, page 4, and Adwa’ al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, hadith numbers 140 and 141
Source: Monthly Magazine al-Hadith Hazro, Page: 4
