Which sect or group is right in Islam?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

In Islam, only one group or sect is right and will go to Paradise from among the Prophet’s ﷺ prediction of seventy-three groups (sects). However, the other groups  will enter the fire. There are two main factors to consider when assessing if one is in the right or correct group or not in Islam. Firstly, following the Sunnah of the blessed Prophet ﷺ and the noble companions. Secondly, one must be part of the majority.

Ummah’s division

وَإِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيل تَفَرَّقَتْ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ مِلَّةً, كُلُّهُمْ فِي النَّارِ, إِلَّا مِلَّةً وَاحِدَةً قَالُوا: مَنْ هِيَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ: مَا أَنَا عَلَيْهِ وَأَصْحَابِي. (هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ)

Sayidina Abdullah bin Amr (May Allah Most High be pleased with them both) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Bani Israeel (Jews) split up into seventy-two sects. My Ummah will split up into seventy-three sects; all of them are in the Fire except one.’ They asked, ‘which is that one O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?’ He ﷺ replied, ‘Whoever is upon that which I am upon, and my companions are upon’. (Tirmidhi Hasan 2641, Ibn Majah, Hakim sahih).

There are numerous narrations of this Hadith with effectively the same wording. They are found in many books including: Tabarani al-Awsat (4886 and 7840), al-Kabeer (62), al-Sagheer (724), al-Mustadrak (444) and others.

قال في المقاصد: حسن صحيح، وروي عن أبي هريرة، وسعد، وابن عمر، وأنس وجابر وغيرهم. (الفوائد المجموعة في الأحاديث الموضوعة)

In al-Maqaasid he said, it is Hasan Sahih. It has been narrated from Abi Hurairah, Sa’d, Ibn Umar, Anas, Jabir and others (May Allah Most High be pleased with them all).  (Imam al-Shawkani, al Fawaid al-Majmoo’ah).

Prophetic advice

فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ بَعْدِي فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ الرَّاشِدِينَ، تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ، فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ

The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘For indeed, those who remain after me will see many differences, so hold fast to my Sunnah, and to the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khalifahs after me. Adhere to and cling tightly to it. Beware of newly invented matters, for every newly invented matter is an innovation (Bidah). And every innovation (Bidah) is deviation.’ (Abu Dawud, 4607).

The above Hadith was also narrated by Imam al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan (2676). He considered it to be authentic (Hasan, Sahih).

رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وابو دَاوُد وَهَذَا لَفظه وَابْن مَاجَه والترمذى وَصَححهُ وَرَوَاهُ الْحَاكِم فِي مُسْتَدْركه وَقَالَ عَلَى شَرط الصَّحِيحَيْنِ وَلَا أعلم لَهُ عِلّة. (تحفة الطالب بمعرفة أحاديث مختصر ابن الحاجب)

It was narrated by (Imams) Ahmad and Abu Dawood, this (the above) is his wording. (Imams) Ibn Maja and al-Tirmidhi (also narrated it). (Imam) al-Hakim considered it Sahih in his Mustadrak, he said it was on the standard of the Sahihayn (Bukhari and Muslim). I am not aware of a weakness (Illah) in it. (Imam Abu al-Fida ibn al-Katheer, Tuhfatu al-Taalib).

والمحفوظ في المتن تفترق أمتي على ثلاث وسبعين فرقة كلها في النار إلا واحدة قال وما تلك الفرقة قال ما أنا عليه اليوم وأصحابي وهذا من مثله مقلوب المتن والله أعلم. (لسان الميزان)

The sound narration is: My (Ummah) nation will split into seventy-three sects.  All of them will be in the fire except one. He said, which group is that? He ﷺ said, what I am upon today, and my companions. This and the like of it have the sound wording. (Imam Abu al-Fadl bin Hajr al-Asqalani, Lisaan al-Mizaan).

The Hadith narrations above are speaking about what to do when the Ummah divides. Therefore, they are providing more direct guidance regarding the correct response to such circumstances. We are commanded to hold fast to the Sunnah of the blessed Prophet ﷺ and the Sahabah (companions, May Allah Most High be pleased with them).

Remaining with the majority

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً، وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي سَتَفْتَرِقُ عَلَى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً، كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ، إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً وَهِيَ الْجَمَاعَةُ

(Sayidina) Anas bin Malik (May Allah Most High be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The Children of Israel split into seventy-one sects. Indeed, my (Ummah) nation will split into seventy-two sects.  All of them will be in the fire except one. That (one) is the majority.’ (Sunan Ibn Maja 3993, Sahih).

We are provided with further guidance in the above authentic Hadith. In it we are commanded to remain with the majority when the Ummah divides. Therefore, when considering the sects, two of the most important considerations in determining whether one is upon guidance or not are being part of the majority and adhering to the Sunnah.

Many groups take an extreme stance with regards to the issue of the sects. They ultimately consider most Muslims to be outside of the correct sect. Therefore, they end up being the minority. As such, these groups’ claim of being the rightly guided group directly contradicts the Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ.

Further, this exclusionary attitude mirrors that of the Khawarij. They were not only the first sect in Islam but they were also the most extreme. Additionally, the Khawarij excluded the majority of people from guidance, and thus became a small minority. Yet, they still claimed to be the one group that is truly guided. This approach is rife amongst more extreme groups today.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (22.08.23)