that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to ‘A’ishah: “O ‘A’ishah, ⦗127a⦘ those who have forsaken their religion and become sects are the adherents of religious innovations and doubts from this Ummah.” (1)
Abu al-Fadl Ziyad ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad al-Hanafi narrated to us; Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Ansari informed us; Abu ‘Abd Allah Muhammad ibn ‘Aqil ibn al-Azhari ibn ‘Aqil, the jurist of Balkh, informed us; al-Ramadi Ahmad ibn Mansur informed us; al-Dahhak ibn Makhlad informed us; Thawr ibn Yazid informed us; Khalid ibn Ma‘dan narrated to us from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Amr al-Sulami, from al-‘Irbad ibn Sariyah, who said:
“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, led us in the dawn prayer, then delivered to us an eloquent admonition which caused eyes to shed tears and hearts to tremble. Someone said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, this seems like the admonition of one bidding farewell, so advise us.’ He said: ‘I advise you to fear Allah and to hear and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed over you. For whoever among you lives on will see much disagreement. So hold fast to my sunnah and the sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Cling to it with your molar teeth, and beware of newly introduced matters, for every innovation is misguidance.’” (2)
It was narrated from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Umar that he said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Indeed, the Children of Israel divided into seventy-two sects, and my Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in the Fire except one.” They asked, “Which one is it, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “That which I and my Companions are upon.” (3)
‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud said: “Indeed, the finest speech is the Book of Allah, and the finest guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.”