40/18. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2641 — Following the Prophet and His Companions
What Has Been Related About The Splitting That Will Occur In This Ummah
Hadith About 73 Sects and the Saved Path
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2641
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2641
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ الْحَفَرِيُّ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ زِيَادِ بْنِ أَنْعُمَ الإِفْرِيقِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي مَا أَتَى عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ حَذْوَ النَّعْلِ بِالنَّعْلِ حَتَّى إِنْ كَانَ مِنْهُمْ مَنْ أَتَى أُمَّهُ عَلاَنِيَةً لَكَانَ فِي أُمَّتِي مَنْ يَصْنَعُ ذَلِكَ وَإِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ تَفَرَّقَتْ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً كُلُّهُمْ فِي النَّارِ إِلاَّ مِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً قَالُوا وَمَنْ هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَأَصْحَابِي " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ مُفَسَّرٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ مِثْلَ هَذَا إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "What Befell The Children Of Isra'Il Will Befall My Ummah, Step By Step, Such That If There Was One Who Had Intercourse With His Mother In The Open, Then There Would Be Someone From My Ummah Who Would Do That. Indeed The Children Of Isra'Il Split Into Seventy-Two Sects, And My Ummah Will Split Into Seventy-Three Sects. All Of Them Are In The Fire Except One Sect." He Said: "And Which Is It O Messenger Of Allah?" He Said: "What I Am Upon And My Companions."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2641In-book reference : Book 40, Hadith 36English translation : Vol. 5, Book 38, Hadith 2641
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2641
This hadith about 73 sects speaks about religious division and the safe way of faith. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said that his Ummah would face patterns like those faced by the Children of Isra'il, step by step. He then mentioned that the Ummah would split into many groups, and only one group is described as safe. When asked who that group was, he did not give a tribal name or a label based on pride. He said it is what he and his Companions were upon. The core message is clear: safety is linked to following the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and the way of his Companions, not personal desire, group pride, or careless religious change.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Ummah is warned that serious division can happen.
- The safe path is described as following what the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and his Companions were upon.
- Religious identity should be tied to truth and guidance, not group pride.
- A believer should be careful about copying wrong ways found in earlier communities.
