36/17. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3991 — Seventy-Three Sects Hadith
The division of nations
73 Sects Hadith: A Warning About Division
Sunan Ibn Majah : 3991
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 3991
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " تَفَرَّقَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً " .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “The Jews split into seventy-one sects and my nation will split into seventy-three sects.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 3991In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 66English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 3991
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 3991
This 73 sects Hadith states that the Jews split into seventy-one sects and that the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم nation will split into seventy-three sects. The wording here is brief, so the explanation should not add details not present in this narration. The main message is that division will occur within the nation. It is a warning, not a reason for careless labeling or harsh speech. A believer reading this Hadith should take division seriously and be careful about paths that break unity in faith. The Hadith helps Muslims search for truth with humility, avoid pride, and understand that religious splitting is a serious matter.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Hadith foretells division within the nation.
- Religious splitting is treated as a serious matter.
- The wording here should be understood without adding details not stated in it.
