۔ عَنْ اَبِیْ ہُرَیْرَۃَ رضی اللہ عنہ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم : ((اِفْتَرَقَتِ الْیَہُوْدُعَلٰی اِحْدٰی اَوِ اثْنَتَیْنِ وَ سَبْعِیْنَ فِرَقَۃً وَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ اُمَّتِیْ عَلٰی ثَلَاثٍ وَ سَبْعِیْنَ فِرْقَۃً۔)) (مسند احمد:8377)
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The Jews were divided into seventy-one or seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects.