سنن ابن ماجه
Ibn Majah
كتاب الفتنChapters on Tribulations
بَابُ : افْتِرَاقِ الأُمَمِChapter: The division of nations
Hadith 3992
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ كَثِيرِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ الْحِمْصِيُّ , حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ , حَدَّثَنَا صَفْوَانُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو , عَنْ رَاشِدِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ , عَنْ عَوْفِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ , قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " افْتَرَقَتْ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً , فَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ , وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ , وَافْتَرَقَتْ النَّصَارَى عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً , فَإِحْدَى وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ , وَوَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ , وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَتَفْتَرِقَنَّ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلَاثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً , وَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ , وَثِنْتَانِ وَسَبْعُونَ فِي النَّارِ " , قِيلَ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ , مَنْ هُمْ ؟ قَالَ : " الْجَمَاعَةُ " .
´It was narrated from ‘Awf bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said:` “The Jews split into seventy-one sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy in Hell. The Christians split into seventy-two sects, seventy-one of which will be in Hell and one in Paradise. I swear by the One Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, my nation will split into seventy-three sects, one of which will be in Paradise and seventy-two in Hell.” It was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are they?” He said: “The main body.”
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
The Saved Sect «السواد الاعظم» refers to the group of truth among the Companions, the Followers, and the Followers of the Followers
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 bin Malik radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابن ماجه: 3992 وسنده حسن]
b: Muawiyah bin 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 Muawiyah 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 declare themselves the “great majority” (sawad a‘zam) as it would be for a Muslim of sound creed to be living in a region where the majority are misguided, and those majority people consider 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 about the sects, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin 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), sought the straight path (sirat al-mustaqim), and 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 bin Malik radi Allahu anhu [سنن ابن ماجه: 3992 وسنده حسن]
b: Muawiyah bin 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 Muawiyah 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 declare themselves the “great majority” (sawad a‘zam) as it would be for a Muslim of sound creed to be living in a region where the majority are misguided, and those majority people consider 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 about the sects, Imam Abu Bakr Muhammad bin 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), sought the straight path (sirat al-mustaqim), and 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
