gt8145a@prism.gatech.edu (FADEL,AYMAN HOSSAM) (02/12/91)
salam, A brother sent me a letter asking about a hadith mentioning that the muslims will split into 71 groups, and I have been unable to find his address. I decided to go ahead and post the letter as an article in the hopes that he would see it. In al-jawzis Talbis iblis, in the chapter entitled "The Blame of Innovations (bida') and Innovators", he reports that hadith. the text is: The Jews split into 71 or 72 groups, and likewise the Christians. My ummah will split into 73. The isnad is Abd al-mailik al-karukhi, then Abu aamir al-azadi and Abu bakr al-nuuriji, then al-haraji, then al-mahjubi, then al-tirmidhi, who reported it from al-husein ibn hariith, from al-fadl ibn musa from muhammd bin Amr from Abu Sulma from Abu Huraira (May God be pleased with them). Al-tirmidhi says "hadith sahih". In another chapter, al-jawzi adds a narration in which "and all of them are in the fire except one." The Prophet may god bless him and his family was then asked'Which one?' He replied, "the one which I and my companions are following." al-tirmidhi says "This is a strange, good hadith (hassan ghariib), and we don't know any other version of the same hadith." Note, other versions would tend to increase a hadith's validity. It's narration is to Abdullah ibn Umar. The editor says that: Abu Mansur al-baghdadi said: This hadith has many narrations, and a large grooup of the Companions have narrated it from the Prophet, salla alahu alaihi wa sallam. Among them are Uns bin malik, abu huraira, abu al-darda', jabir, abu sa'iid al khadri, abu ibn Ka'b, abd allah bin Amr ibn al-aas, Abu Amama, and others. Abu Dawud reported in his hadith collection that Muawiya gave a speech in which he said: The Prophet Salla.. said: Did not the ahl al-kitab split before you into 72 groups, and this umma would split into 73, all but one of which is in th fire, and that one is the group (al-jamaa'a). People will emerge from my community, and whims will penetrate them like rabies penetrates its victim. Salam, Ayman