Explanation of the author's statement: But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah would split into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, which is...
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The Shaykh : Then he said: "But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah Sunan Ibn Majah 3993Sahih (Darussalam)" that his Ummah means: the Ummah of response, not the Ummah of invitation, because the Ummah of invitation includes the Jews and the Christians, and they are divided. The Jews are on seventy-one sects and the Christians are on three, on seventy-two sects. And this Ummah is on seventy-three sects. This Ummah was on seventy-three sects because the one sect is the saved, safe one that was upon what the Messenger and his Companions were upon. As for the other sects, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 7320 And if the limit of the ways of those before us is seventy-two, then the meaning of that is that this Ummah must be how many? Seventy-three, so that the saved sect, which did not follow the ways of those before it, comes about.
He said:Sunan Ibn Majah 3993Sahih (Darussalam) His statement does not necessitate eternal abode in the Fire; rather, it necessitates that their deeds are such that they deserve entering the Fire, but they do not deserve eternal abode, because we mentioned that the Ummah here is the Ummah of response.
And these seventy-three sects, have they occurred now and been completed, or are they in the future perspective, or what?
Most of those who spoke about this hadith said: "That they have occurred, that these sects existed and were completed" and they began to divide the people of innovation into five main principles, and then these five principles they branched off into sects until they brought them to seventy-two sects, and they left one sect for the people of the Sunnah and the community.
And some scholars said: "That the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) left these sects ambiguous, and there is no need for us to strain ourselves to divide the existing innovations into five principles, and then divide these principles into branches, until we sometimes make a complete sect just for its opposition to the rest of the sects in one branch, for this is not considered an independent sect".
So it is better to say: That these sects are not known to us, but we say: That they are sects, without doubt, that deviated from the straight path, some of which deviated and went far, some of which deviated a moderate deviation, and some of which deviated a close deviation, and we do not bind ourselves to limiting them, because perhaps sects will emerge that are attributed to the Islamic Ummah other than those the scholars counted, as is the reality. Sects have emerged that are attributed to Islam other than the sects that were counted in the era of the previous scholars.
In any case, we say that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah, the Ummah of response, will split into seventy-three sects, all astray, all in the Fire except one. Who is it? "And it is the Jama'ah" Yes, he says "But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah would split into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, which is the Jama'ah" meaning: the one that agreed upon the truth and did not split in it.
And what he was upon "And in a hadith from him, he said:" And those who were upon what the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions were upon are the Jama'ah. What did they agree upon? They are those who implemented what Allah advised [Ash-Shuraa 42:13] So they did not split, but they were one group.
He says: "Thus, those who hold fast to pure Islam, free from any admixture, are the people of the Sunnah and the community" So if we are asked: Who are the people of the Sunnah and the community? We say: They are those who hold fast to pure Islam, free from any admixture. And this definition from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah necessitates that the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah and the like are not from the people of the Sunnah and the community, because in their holding fast, because their holding fast is admixed, because their holding fast is admixed with what they introduced into Islam of innovations. So they did not hold fast to pure, pure Islam, free from admixture. And this is the correct view: that the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah are not counted, in what they went to regarding the names of Allah and His attributes, are not counted, are not counted, are not counted from the people of the Sunnah and the community. And how can they be counted from the people of the Sunnah and the community while they oppose the people of the Sunnah and the community?!
Because it is said: Either the truth is in what these Asha'irah and Maturidiyyah went to, or the truth is in what the Salaf went to. Is that not so? If the truth is in what the Salaf went to and these people oppose them, they become not from the people of the Sunnah and the community, because the Salaf are the most deserving of this description.
will split into seventy-two, all of which will be in Hell apart from one
ستفترق على ثلاث وسبعين فرقة كلها في النار إلا واحدةYou will follow the ways of those nations who were before you
لتتبعن سنن من كان قبلكمHe said:
all of which will be in Hell apart from one
كلها في النار إلا واحدةAll of them are in the Fire
كلها في النارAnd these seventy-three sects, have they occurred now and been completed, or are they in the future perspective, or what?
Most of those who spoke about this hadith said: "That they have occurred, that these sects existed and were completed" and they began to divide the people of innovation into five main principles, and then these five principles they branched off into sects until they brought them to seventy-two sects, and they left one sect for the people of the Sunnah and the community.
And some scholars said: "That the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) left these sects ambiguous, and there is no need for us to strain ourselves to divide the existing innovations into five principles, and then divide these principles into branches, until we sometimes make a complete sect just for its opposition to the rest of the sects in one branch, for this is not considered an independent sect".
So it is better to say: That these sects are not known to us, but we say: That they are sects, without doubt, that deviated from the straight path, some of which deviated and went far, some of which deviated a moderate deviation, and some of which deviated a close deviation, and we do not bind ourselves to limiting them, because perhaps sects will emerge that are attributed to the Islamic Ummah other than those the scholars counted, as is the reality. Sects have emerged that are attributed to Islam other than the sects that were counted in the era of the previous scholars.
In any case, we say that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah, the Ummah of response, will split into seventy-three sects, all astray, all in the Fire except one. Who is it? "And it is the Jama'ah" Yes, he says "But when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that his Ummah would split into seventy-three sects, all in the Fire except one, which is the Jama'ah" meaning: the one that agreed upon the truth and did not split in it.
And what he was upon "And in a hadith from him, he said:
They are those who are upon what I am upon today and my Companions
هم من كان على مثل ما أنا عليه اليوم وأصحابيto establish the religion and not be divided therein
أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِHe says: "Thus, those who hold fast to pure Islam, free from any admixture, are the people of the Sunnah and the community" So if we are asked: Who are the people of the Sunnah and the community? We say: They are those who hold fast to pure Islam, free from any admixture. And this definition from Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah necessitates that the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah and the like are not from the people of the Sunnah and the community, because in their holding fast, because their holding fast is admixed, because their holding fast is admixed with what they introduced into Islam of innovations. So they did not hold fast to pure, pure Islam, free from admixture. And this is the correct view: that the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah are not counted, in what they went to regarding the names of Allah and His attributes, are not counted, are not counted, are not counted from the people of the Sunnah and the community. And how can they be counted from the people of the Sunnah and the community while they oppose the people of the Sunnah and the community?!
Because it is said: Either the truth is in what these Asha'irah and Maturidiyyah went to, or the truth is in what the Salaf went to. Is that not so? If the truth is in what the Salaf went to and these people oppose them, they become not from the people of the Sunnah and the community, because the Salaf are the most deserving of this description.