Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Hasan. Hasan hadiths are considered good and acceptable in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 4598 in the Book of Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah).

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#4597

#4598

Sunan Abu Dawud

#4599

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Sunan Abu Dawud #4598

Q: What is Sunan Abu Dawud 4598 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)), narrated by Narrated AbuHurayrah:, states: "The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seven…"

Model Behavior of the Prophet (Kitab Al-Sunnah)

Hasan

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا وَهْبُ بْنُ بَقِيَّةَ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ افْتَرَقَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفَرَّقَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَى إِحْدَى أَوْ ثِنْتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً وَتَفْتَرِقُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ثَلاَثٍ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The Jews were split up into seventy-one or seventy-two sects; and the Christians were split up into seventy one or seventy-two sects; and my community will be split up into seventy-three sects.

Narrated by Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) addresses the divisions within religious communities, noting that the Jews and Christians have split into numerous sects, while his own community will also experience similar fragmentation. This serves as a reminder of the challenges of unity and the importance of adhering to the core teachings of Islam amidst differing interpretations and beliefs.

Modern Application

In today's diverse society, this hadith encourages Muslims to strive for unity while respecting differences in interpretation. It highlights the importance of focusing on shared values and principles to foster harmony within the community, rather than allowing divisions to lead to discord.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prophets and Community because it emphasizes the prophetic awareness of divisions within religious groups and the implications for the Muslim community.

Prophets Community