۔ وَعَنْ اَبِیْ عَمَّارٍ عَبْدِاللّٰہِ بْنِ لُحَیٍّی قَالَ :حَجَجْنَا مَعَ مُعَاوِیَۃَ بْنِ اَبِیْ سُفْیَانَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا مَکَّۃَ قَامَ حِیْنَ صَلّٰی صَلاَۃَ الظُّہْرِ فَقَالَ: اِنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰہِ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم قَالَ:(( اِنَّ اَہْلَ الْکِتَابِ اِفْتَرَقُوْا فِی دِیْنِہِمْ عَلٰی ثِنْتَیْنِ وَسَبْعِیْنَ مِلَّۃً وَاِنَّ ہٰذِہِ الْاُمَّۃَ سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلٰی ثَلَاثٍ وَ سَبْعِیْنَ مِلَّۃً،یَعْنِیْ الْاَھْوَائَ، وَکُلُّہَا فِی النَّارِ اِلَّا وَاحِدَۃً وَھِیَ الْجَمَاعَۃُ‘ وَاِنَّہُ سَیَخْرُجُ فِی اُمَّتِیْ اَقْوَامٌیُجَارِیْ بِہِمْ تِلْکَ الْاَھْوَائُ کَمَا یُجَارِی الْکَلبُ بِصَاحِبِہِ لَا یَبْقٰی مِنْہُ عِرْقٌ وَلَا مَفْصِلٌ اِلَّا دَخَلَہُ۔)) وَاللّٰہِ!یَا مَعْشَرَ الْعَرَبِ لَئِنْ لَمْ تَقُوْمُوْا بِمَا جَائَ بِہِ نَبِیُّکُمْ صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم لِغَیْرُکُمْ مِنَ النَّاسِ اَحْرٰی اَنْ لَا یَقُوْمُ بِہِ۔ (مسند احمد:17061)
Abu Amir Abdullah bin Lahi says: We performed Hajj in the company of Sayyiduna Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him). When we reached Makkah Mukarramah, after the Zuhr prayer he stood up and said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had said: The People of the Book were divided into seventy-two sects regarding religion, and this Ummah (due to desires) will be divided into seventy-three sects, but all groups except one will go to Hell, and soon there will appear among my Ummah many such people in whom desires will penetrate just as the poison of a rabid dog penetrates a man so that no vein or joint remains except that it is affected. O Arab nation! By Allah! If you, the people to whom your Prophet brought this religion, do not adhere to it, then obviously no one else will remain steadfast upon it.