Before the discussion of the Historical Evolution of Islamic Sects, we first have to scrutinize and analyze the basis of this subject; which is the famous hadith of the seventy-three sects.
There is an urgent need to study this Hadith differently, to give a better understanding of the relationship between Muslim sects; an understanding that maximizes denominators and common word. The claim of uniqueness of a certain sect to be right and to consider others to be wrong and deserves hell, is about to be a general phenomenon in the history of Muslim sects. Understanding this Episode will make it easy to fathom subsequent episodes in Shaa Allah.
This analysis is best started by explaining the reliability of this Hadith and its meanings, the way in which the Hadith addresses the difference between the various Muslim groups, the indicators related to the number of groups, the possibility of identifying the right one, the dangers of the sectarian reading of the Hadith, and main features of a monotheistic reading of the study of Muslim sects.
Certainly, there are differences in hadith authentication, and the reasons for this are the differences in the methodologies of each scholars of Hadith; coupled with each inclination. Most scholars who regarded an hadith to be da’eef (weak) had accepted as Sahih (sound) an hadith with similar chain if it is tandem to his inclination – and vice versa. So, scrutinizing a hadith upon tasheeh and tad’eef principles will take a thorough critical research. Hence, in the Episode Two of this series, we will focus more on studying the influence, not mostly the authenticity, of the 73 sects hadith.
No doubt this hadith which states that the Islamic community would be divided into 73 sects and only one of them would be saved from Hell, has had great influence on Islamic thought as it has determined how the followers of a sect should see the followers of other sects and how the relationship between them should be.
It should be unequivocally noted that this hadith has different narrative versions (riwaayaat and turuq) and can be classified into four:
1: Narratives declaring only the number of sects into which the Muslim community will divide (recorded by al-Tirmidhi, Abu Daawud, Ibn Majah, alNisabuuri, alBayhaqii, Ibn Hibban).
2: Narratives saying that only one sect will be saved while the other will be in Hell كلها في النار إلا واحدة (recorded by al-Darimi, Ahmad bn Hanbal).
3: Narratives explaining the exact identity of the saved sect ما أنا عليه و أصحابي (recorded by Abu Daawud, Ibn Majah, al-Tirmidhi, Ahmad bn – Hanbal, al-Nisabuuri).
4: Narratives stating that all sects will be in jannah except for only one كلها في الجنة إلا واحدة (recorded by al-‘Ajluuni, as-Suyuuti, Ali al-Qaari, Ibn ‘Arraq).
Note: none of the narratives of the 73 sects hadith is mentioned in Saheeh al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Nasaa’i. For further details of the different narrative versions of the 73 sects hadith and the investigation of narrators, see Kash al-khafaa pages 149-151 if it is the one printed by Dar ihya al-turaath al-‘Arabi, Beirut.
Meanwhile, the most common version of this hadith is as follows:
“Jews were divided into 71 sects. One of them is in Heaven, seventy of them are in Hell. Christians are splitted into 72 sects. Seventy-one of them are in Hell, the one is in Heaven. I swear to Allah whose mighty hands hold the Muhammad’s will, beyond any doubt, my ummah will be divided into 73 sects. One will be in Heaven, seventy-two will be in flames. They Said: ‘Oh Messenger of Allah! Who are they?’ Thus he said: ‘They are al-jamaa’ah (the community)’.” This is the narration of Ibn Majah.
In another narration, the saved sect is expressed as “The one on which path I and my companions are.” This is the narration of Tirmidhi.
Before going to the matn (context and influence) of this hadith, let me quickly brief issues with its Isnad (chain of transmission). And they are:
1: The most authentic among these ahadeeth is the one said to be narrated by Abu Hurayrah; reported by Imam Ahmad in his musnad, Abu daawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, narrated from Muhammad bn Amru bn Alqamah, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah.
And in this hadith of Abu Hurayrah, the phrase “كلها في النار إلا واحدة – all in Hell except one” is not found in the Hadith.
The narration of Mu’aawiyah bn Abu Sufyaan and Anas bn Maalik is the Hadith that mentioned the phrase كلها في النار إلا واحدة. And in the isnad of the Hadith of Mu’aawiyah, there is a man called الأزهر بن عبد الله الحرازي in the narration and he was a nasibi who abuses Ali bn Abi Taalib. Likewise the narration of Anas has many turuq (versions) that are not free from blames.
Another narration by Abdullah bn Amru bn ‘Aas, which says ما أنا عليه و أصحابي, recorded by Imam Tirmidhi who classed it as “hadeeth Ghareeb”; in this narration, there is Abdur Rahman bn Zayad bn An’am Al-afreeqiy – a righteous man but munkir hadeeth da’eef.
2: Despite how important the subject of this hadith is, it cannot be found in Bukhari, Muslim and Nasaa’i. And that denotes the hadeeth is not saheeh (authentic) based on their conditions/principles. As for the excuse that they only did not record it; the one who knows Bukhari and Muslim verywell will know that they hardly/never ignore an important chapter except they report even if it is a hadith on the subject matter.
3: Some of the narratives of the Hadith did not mention that “all sects will be in hell except one”, they only mentioned the occurrence of sects and its numbers.
As for the narrative that has the phrase “all in Hell except one”, in addition to what was said earlier, Sheikh Shu’aib Al-Arnaut is of the opinion that the Isnad of the hadeeth is weak because of Ibn Luay’ah who has a bad memorization and the narrative of Sa’eed bn Abi hilaal from Anas is Mursal.
In Musnad of Imam Ahmad (12147), the narrative is
“و أنتم تفرقون على مثلها، كلها في النار إلا فرقة”
Sheikh Shuaib Arnaut, as well as Ibn Hazm said this Isnad is likewise weak for the weakness of An-Nameeriy found in the isnad.
Ibn Wazeer (d.840AH) in his العواصم و القواصم said: “the phrase ‘all in hell except one’ is a wrong addition, not authentic and it frustrates our unity”.
Ibn Hazm said: “the additional phrase (all in gell except one) was fabricated, not mawquuf, not marfuu’ “.
As for the narratives without the phrase “all in hell except one”, though Imam Tirmidhi said Hassan saheeh, Ibn Ibban also authenticated it. But it is a narrative from Muhammad Bn Amru bn Alqamah bn Waqaas, and whoever read his biography in تهذيب التهذيب of Ibn Hajar asqalaani will know alot was said about this narrator’s memorization.
This should be the brief note about the isnad of the hadeeth. Well Knowning that Sheikh al-Albaani authenticated the hadeeth and refuted his predecessors that considered it weak and ‘the phrase’ fabricated. Bringing the counter differences here will be of no use.
For the sake of argument (لو سلمنا جدلا), let us even agree that the Hadith is authentic in term of its Isnad, coming to the matn (context and influence of the hadeeth),
When the Hadith is reflected on, a set of questions come to mind. For instance, what is meant with the number 73 in this hadith? Does it indicate a number adding up to reality or it is used as a figurative count implying plenitude? Besides, is this the count of major sects? If so, no writer has managed to specify the number of major sects as more than 10-12. If the hadith implies major sects together with their sub-branches, then the number 73 can be easily exceeded.
Furthermore, what would be the criterion for being defined as sect and who would determine the identity of these 73 sects and how would it be done? However, if the number 73 is used figuratively, what does the division of the Jews, Christians, and Muslims into 71, 72, and 73 sects refer to, respectively?
All these questions, including the scholars who consider this hadeeth authentic, as well as the influence, meanings, and conclusions of this hadeeth, will be discussed extensively in the forthcoming episode in Shaa Allah. To be continued….