There is a notion going through the Ummah that there is no differences, in terms of belief, amongst Jews, Christians and people of other faiths with Islaam, and consequently all these will enter Jannah together. This understanding is based upon falsehood and has no basis in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah. Allaah (SWT) has said,

وَأَنَّ هَـذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُواْ السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

“Verily, this is My way, leading straight. Follow it; follow not (other) paths. They will scatter you about from His (great) path: thus does He command you. So that you may be righteous.” (EMQ 6:153)

As the above Aayah makes clear, there is only one path to follow to please Allaah (SWT) and that is the path of Islaam. All other paths and religions are false and only mislead people from the correct path.

Others in the Ummah of Muhammad (SAW) believe that there are no differences amongst the Muslims, and consequently the Sunni, Shee’ah and Ahmadis will all enter Jannah as they all recite the Shahaadah (testimony of faith), and more often than not, fulfil the five pillars. They cite that the Muslims should be one brotherhood as we have one Qur’aan and one Sunnah and thus do not have any divisions. However, Allaah (SWT) narrates a different situation:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

وَاعْتَصِمُواْ بِحَبْلِ اللّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلاَ تَفَرَّقُواْ

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah as he should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islaam. And hold fast, all together, to the rope which Allaah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves.” (EMQ 3:101)

The Messenger Muhammad (SAW), upon the authority of Jaabir bin ‘Abdillaah, said, “There will continue in my Ummah a group that will fight for the haq (at-Taa’ifah al-Mansoorah), you will know them until the Day of Judgement, and then ‘Eesaa bin Maryam will come down, and the people will say, “O ‘Eesaa! Lead the jamaa’ah (prayer).” He (AS) will say “No, only you lead each other, Allaah honoured this Ummah that nobody will lead them except the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and their own people.” (Saheeh Muslim no. 3546)

From the above two evidences it is quite evident that it is a divine wisdom from Allaah for there to exist divisions in this Ummah. No one can deny this fact from the evidences, nor from the reality we currently preside in. Despite this situation, our duty as Muslims is to seek out the correct path and to follow it.

The number of divisions in the Ummah

There are numerous ahaadeeth explaining the situation the Ummah will be in regarding sects and divisions. The majority of which state that the Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects, all but one would be upon guidance. May Allaah (SWT) make us be with the Saved Sect.

The Prophet (SAW) is reported to have said, “By the one whose hand is my soul. My Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects. And seventy-two will be in Hellfire.” The Sahaabah asked, “Who is the Saved Cect?” He (SAW) said, “al-Jamaa’ah”.”

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said, “The Jews were divided into seventy-one or seventy-two sects, and Christians the same, and my Ummah will be divided into seventy-three sects.” (Sunan at-Tirmidhi no. 2564)

‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amroo narrates that the Prophet (SAW) said, “My Ummah will face what Bani Israa’eel faced step by step, even if one of them approached his mother publicly (sexually) there will be one of my Ummah will approach his mother. The people of Israa’eel divided into seventy-two sects, my Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, all of them are in the Fire, and one of them is in Paradise.” We asked “Which one is saved?” The Prophet (SAW) said, “The one that is with me and my Companions.”“ (Sunan at-Tirmidhi no. 2565)

In the sharh (explanation) of at-Tirmidhi, Imaam Ahwazi commented, “The answer to this hadeeth is in the hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amroo, that “all of them are in the Fire, and one is in Jannah” and that this is one of the proofs of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) because he (SAW) relates to us about the Ghayb (Unseen), and that the Saviour Sect is Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.”

From the above ahaadeeth, it is abundantly clear that there will be divisions in the Muslim Ummah based upon ‘aqaa’id matters. It is also clear that the Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects and only one from these will be upon what the Messenger Muhammad (SAW) brought, all else will be in Fire. The single Saved Sect will be known al-Firqah an-Naajiyah and it has been also given the titles “al-Jamaa’ah” and “Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah”.  To understand these terms and to whom they apply, it is vital that we study these individually and in more depth.