Islam is one religion built upon the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ according to the understanding of the Companions. The Prophet ﷺ warned that differences and sects would appear within the Muslim community, and he instructed the Muslims to remain firmly upon the truth.
This page is drawn from Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan’s A Glimpse at the Deviated Sects and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Rabee ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee’s The Reality of Sufism, with the Murji’ah paragraph resting on Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah.
He said:
“Verily the children of Israa’eel split up into seventy two sects and my ummah will split into seventy three sects, all of them in the Fire except one sect.”
They asked, “What is that sect, O Messenger of Allah?”
He (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) replied, “That which I and my Companions are upon today.”
The hadith is reported by at-Tirmidhi (2641) and al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh ‘Itiqaad Ahl-us-Sunnah (147).
Because of this warning, the scholars explained the beliefs of deviated sects so that Muslims may recognize error and hold firmly to the truth.
Shaykh al-Fawzan explains why the sects are discussed at all:
“Rather, discussion about the sects has a greater importance than that, and it is a warning from the evils of these sects and their newly invented matters and the necessity to cling to Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah.”
He also mentions the saying, “the one who does not recognise evil, then it is feared that he will fall into it.”
The following are some of the well-known sects that deviated from the methodology of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama‘ah.
“These are the foundations of the sects: Firstly: The Qadariyyah, Secondly: The Shi‘ah, Thirdly: The Khawaarij, Fourthly: The Jahmiyyah. Later they split up into many different sects which can be enumerated only by Allah.”
This page surveys those foundations and the best known of the sects that branched from them.
Khawarij
The Khawarij are one of the sects that appeared among the Muslims and caused division within the Ummah. They became known for declaring Muslims to be disbelievers because of major sins and for opposing the Muslim rulers. Their methodology led to conflict and separation within the Muslim community. The Prophet warned about such groups who deviate from the correct understanding while claiming righteousness. Because of this, the scholars of Islam warned against the path of the Khawarij and clarified their deviation.
Shi‘ah
The Shi‘ah are mentioned as a group that deviated in their beliefs regarding the family of the Prophet ﷺ. They exaggerated in their position concerning certain individuals from the family of the Prophet and opposed many of the Companions. This exaggeration and opposition led them away from the balanced path that the Prophet and his Companions were upon. The scholars clarified that loving the family of the Prophet is part of the religion, but exaggeration and hostility toward the Companions are deviations from the correct methodology.
Qadariyyah
The Qadariyyah are mentioned among the sects that deviated from the correct belief. Their deviation relates to the issue of al-Qadr (Divine Decree). They denied the decree of Allah regarding the actions of His servants and claimed that a person creates his own actions independently. This belief contradicts the correct creed that everything occurs by the decree and knowledge of Allah. Because of this denial, the scholars warned against their statements and regarded their belief as deviation from the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.
Jabriyyah
The Jabriyyah are mentioned among the sects that deviated in the issue of al-Qadr, at the opposite extreme to the Qadariyyah. They went to excess in affirming the decree until they held that the servant is compelled in his actions and has no choice or will of his own, like a feather blowing around in the wind. The correct creed affirms that everything occurs by the decree and knowledge of Allah, and affirms at the same time that the servant truly acts and chooses, and answers for what he does. Because of this excess, the scholars warned against their belief as a deviation from the path of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah.
Murji’ah
The Murji’ah are mentioned among the sects that deviated in the meaning of faith. Their innovation, called Irja’, appeared after the innovation of the Qadariyyah, in the days of many of the Tabi’in. They held that sins do not harm the one who has faith, separating actions from faith itself. The creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah is that faith is statement, belief, and action, and that it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience. Because of this separation, the scholars warned against Irja’ and counted it among the deviated innovations in religion.
Jahmiyyah
The Jahmiyyah are named after Jahm ibn Safwan and are known for their deviation regarding the names and attributes of Allah. They denied many of the attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself and interpreted them in ways that differed from the understanding of the early generations. Because of this denial, the scholars refuted their beliefs and clarified that the correct approach is to affirm the names and attributes of Allah as they are mentioned in the Qur’an and the Sunnah without distortion or denial.
Mu‘tazilah
The Mu‘tazilah are mentioned among the sects that deviated from the correct belief. They branched off from the Jahmiyyah, and their name comes from I‘tizaal, meaning seclusion, from their separating themselves from the people of the Sunnah. Like the Jahmiyyah, they denied the attributes that Allah affirmed for Himself, while affirming His names in word only. They also held that the one who commits a major sin is in a state between two states, neither a believer nor a disbeliever, yet they ruled that he would remain in the Fire forever, agreeing with the Khawarij in the outcome. Because of these beliefs, the scholars refuted them and warned against their path.
Sufism
Sufism is a movement that appeared after the early generations of Islam. The term is commonly connected to wearing woolen clothing (soof), which some early ascetics wore to show abstinence from worldly life. The name “Sufism” was not known during the time of the Companions or the first three generations, but appeared later.
In its early stages, Sufism began as extreme asceticism and excessive devotion, where some individuals went beyond the balanced practice of Islam in avoiding worldly matters and performing acts of worship. Over time, different ideas entered into Sufi teachings, including philosophical concepts and beliefs taken from other traditions.
Against this excess, Shaykh al-Madkhalee states the balanced way of Islam:
“Brothers, the religion of Islaam orders justly balanced and moderate behavior in all affairs, so there is no going to excess, nor falling short of what is required.”
Some Sufi groups developed beliefs such as the idea that Allah dwells within creation or that everything in existence is one reality. The book also mentions that many Sufis place complete obedience to their spiritual leaders (shaykhs), sometimes without questioning their actions.
Another practice associated with many Sufi orders is the strong veneration of saints and shaykhs, including seeking help from the dead or believing in supernatural abilities attributed to certain spiritual figures. These practices spread widely in some Muslim lands over time.
Key Lessons
The Prophet foretold that this Ummah would split into sects, and the mark of the one saved group is that it is upon what he and his Companions were upon. These sects are studied so that their errors may be recognised and avoided, and so that the Muslim holds firmly to the truth.
Shaykh al-Fawzan explains how the groups of today connect to those early foundations:
“these seventy three are the foundations from which all the others branched out. … And the groups of our time, which oppose the unity of Ahl-us-Sunnah, are an extension and branches of these sects.”
So the duty of the Muslim is to cling to the Qur’an and the Sunnah upon the understanding of the Companions, and to keep away from every path that departs from it.
References
- The hadith of the seventy-three sects, reported by at-Tirmidhi (2641) and al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh ‘Itiqaad Ahl-us-Sunnah (147)
- A Glimpse at the Deviated Sects, Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (Salafi Publications, trans. Abu Naasir Abid bin Basheer)
- The Reality of Sufism: In Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Rabee ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee
- Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen (Dar-us-Salam), Vol. 1, introduction, for the Murji’ah paragraph
The books cited print “Allaah”; inside quotations on this page the name is spelled Allah, by the site’s rule.
Further Reading
- Khawarij: the first of the sects in full, their declaring sinners to be disbelievers and their revolt against the rulers
- Shi‘ah: their alliance to the family of the Prophet, their exaggeration toward the imams, and their opposition to the Companions
- Qadariyyah: their denial of the divine decree over the servants’ actions, treated in full
- Jabriyyah: the opposite extreme in the decree, that the servant is compelled and has no choice
- Murji’ah: their separation of actions from faith, treated in full
- Mu‘tazilah: their denial of the attributes and the state between two states, treated in full
- Jahmiyyah: their denial of the names and attributes of Allah, treated in full
- Sufism: the beliefs and practices of the Sufis examined at length
- The Saved Sect (Ahlus Sunnah wal-Jama‘ah): who the saved sect is, and the marks by which it is known
- How the Khawārij Misuse Qur’an 5:44 to Declare Muslims Disbelievers: how the Khawarij use one verse to declare Muslims disbelievers, and the answer to it
Verified on 2026-10-26 against: A Glimpse at the Deviated Sects (Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan), The Reality of Sufism (Shaykh Muhammad ibn Rabee ibn Hadee al-Madkhalee), and Commentary on Al-‘Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah, Vol. 1 (Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen), for the Murji’ah paragraph.