Question: The Prophet (peace be upon Him) informed us about the differing which would take place among his people after his death; we request Your Eminence to explain this.
Answer: The Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon Him) informed us in a narration which is authentically reported from him that
The Jews divided into seventy-one sects and the Christians divided into seventy-two sects and this community (i.e. the Muslims) will be divided into seventy-three sects, and that all of these sects will be in the Fire except one, and they are those who follow what the Prophet (Peace and Blessing be upon Him) and his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, followed. [Reported by Abu Dawud in the Book of the Sunnah (4596) and by At-Tirmidhi in the Book of Faith, in the chapter on the differing of this Community (2642) and by Ibn Majah in the Book of Trails, in the Chapter on the Differing of the (Muslim) Community (3991)]
This sect is the Saved Sect, which will achieve salvation in the life of this world from innovations and will be saved in the Hereafter from the Fire, and they are a group who will be helped until the Hour is established which is an already existing phenomenon by the Command of Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Some people have attempted to enumerate these seventy-three sects, one of which is following the truth and the remainder of which are following that which is false. They have divided the innovators into five categories and designated for each category branches in order that the number reaches that specified by the Prophet (Peace be upon Him). Others consider that it is more appropriate to refrain from counting them, because these sects are not the only sects who have gone astray; indeed people have strayed more than they had previously, and this happened after these sects had come to number seventy-two sects. They say that this number will not end and it is not possible to know the end of it, except at the end of time when the Hour is established.
Therefore, it is more appropriate to treat in general what the Prophet (peace be upon Him) treated as general, and say that this community will become divided into seventy-three sects, all of whom will be in the Fire except one. Then we may say that all those who contradict what was followed by the Prophet (Peace be upon Him) and his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, then they are included among these sects.
It could be that the Messenger (peace be upon Him) was referring to elements of which we now know no more than ten. And it could be that he was referring to elements which consist of branches, as held by some people and the knowledge is with Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful.
Also Read: Who are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah? - Ibn Uthaymeen
Muhammad bin Salih Al-Uthaymeen
Fatawa Arkan-ul-Islam
Also Read: Who are Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah? - Ibn Uthaymeen
 Informed us about Differing? - Ibn Uthaymeen){kind=link}
0 Comments:
Post a Comment