The Ummah Will Divide into 73 Sects—Only One Will Be Saved Source: Fatawa Arkan-e-Islam
Prophetic Forewarning: Division Within the Ummah
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ foretold the division of his Ummah in a narration that highlights the extent of sectarian divergence in the past and future.
“The Jews split into seventy-one sects, and the Christians into seventy-two sects. And my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects.”
(Sunan Abī Dāwūd, Book of Sunnah, Hadith: 4596;
Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, Book of Faith, Hadith: 2640;
Sunan Ibn Mājah, Book of Tribulations, Hadith: 3991)
Which Sect Will Be Saved?
In the same Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ clarified that:
◈ Only one sect out of the seventy-three will be saved
◈ All others will be misguided and destined for Hell
Signs of the Saved Sect
◈ It is the group that adheres to the same religion and path upon which the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (RA) were.
◈ This sect:
❀ Is safeguarded from innovations in religion
❀ Will be granted salvation in the Hereafter
Al-Ṭāʾifah al-Manṣūrah: The Victorious Group
This saved sect is also described in other narrations as:
◈ Al-Ṭāʾifah al-Manṣūrah — the Victorious Group
◈ A group that will remain steadfast and dominant upon the truth until the Day of Judgment, by Allah’s command.
Efforts to Identify the 73 Sects
Some scholars:
◈ Attempted to enumerate the 73 sects
◈ Classified the people of innovation (ahl al-bidʿah) under five major categories, further breaking them down into subgroups to reach the prophetic number
Scholarly Caution Regarding the Number
Other scholars advised caution, suggesting that:
◈ We should avoid asserting a fixed count, because:
❀ Deviations and misguidance have continued to spread even beyond these sects
❀ New sects emerged after the initial divisions
◈ Hence, the number is not absolute or final
◈ It may not be fully known before the Day of Judgment
The safest approach is to leave it as the Prophet ﷺ left it:
➤ “The Ummah will split into seventy-three sects”
➤ “Only one will be saved”
➤ “Whoever deviates from the religion of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions is among the misguided groups”
Sects Based on Foundational and Secondary Differences
Some scholars believe:
◈ The Prophet’s ﷺ reference may be to foundational beliefs
◈ Or perhaps to both core doctrines and secondary matters
◈ A number of scholars held this view, stating:
❖ “Only ten of these sects are clearly identifiable to us today”
❝ Hādhā mā ‘indī, wallāhu a‘lam biṣ-ṣawāb ❞
(This is what I know; and Allah knows best what is right.)
