[Machine] We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his mosque when he said, "You will follow the practices of those before you, step by step, to the extent that if they were to enter a lizard's hole, you would enter it too." We asked, "O Messenger of Allah, are you referring to the Jews and Christians?" He replied, "Who else?" The Jews split into seventy-one groups, all misguided except one. The Christians split into seventy-two groups, all misguided except one. And this Ummah will split into seventy-three groups, all misguided except one: the Jamāʿah (the united group) and the true understanding of Islam." [At-Tirmidhi]  

كُنَّا قُعُودًا حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي مَسْجِدِهِ فَقَالَ «لَتَسْلُكُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ حَذْوَ النَّعْلِ بِالنَّعْلِ وَلَتَأْخُذُنَّ مِثْلَ أَخْذِهِمْ إِنْ شِبْرًا فَشِبْرٌ وَإِنْ ذِرَاعًا فَذِرَاعٌ وَإِنْ بَاعًا فَبَاعٌ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ دَخَلْتُمْ فِيهِ أَلَا إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى مُوسَى عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلَّا فِرْقَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ وَإِنَّهَا افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلَّا فِرْقَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ يَكُونُونَ عَلَى اثْنَتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلَّا فِرْقَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ» آخِرُ كِتَابِ الْعِلْمِ  

[Machine] We were sitting around the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his mosque in Medina, when Gabriel ﷺ came to him with revelation. He covered himself with his cloak and stayed that way for a long time, until it was lifted and he was seen to be sweating heavily. Then he held something in his hand and said, "Which of you knows what comes out of the palm tree?" The Ansar (helpers of Medina) said, "We know it, O Messenger of Allah. It is our father and mother, and nothing comes out of the palm tree except that we know it. We are the people of palm trees." Then he opened his hand, and there were dates in it. He asked, "What is this?" They said, "These are dates, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "What kind of dates?" They replied, "Fresh dates." He said, "You are right. Gabriel came to you to teach you your religion. He wants you to follow the customs of your predecessors. Follow them step by step, as the sandal follows the sandal. Even if they enter into the hole of a lizard, you will enter it as well, except that the children of Israel had divided into seventy-one sects, all of which were astray except one sect, which is Islam and its group. Then they divided into seventy-two sects, all of which were astray except one sect, which is Islam and its group. And indeed, you will be divided into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Fire except one sect, which is Islam and its group."  

كُنَّا قُعُودًا حَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي مَسْجِدِهِ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَجَاءَهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِالْوَحْيِ فَتَغَشَّى رِدَاءَهُ فَمَكَثَ طَوِيلًا حَتَّى سُرِّيَ عَنْهُ وَكَشَفَ رِدَاءَهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ تَعَرَّقَ عَرَقًا شَدِيدًا وَإِذَا هُوَ قَابِضٌ عَلَى شَيْءٍ فَقَالَ «أَيُّكُمْ يَعْرِفُ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ؟» فَقَالَ الْأَنْصَارُ نَحْنُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ بِأَبِينَا أَنْتَ وَأُمِّنَا لَيْسَ شَيْءٌ يَخْرُجُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ إِلَّا نَحْنُ نَعْرِفُهُ نَحْنُ أَصْحَابُ نَخْلٍ ثُمَّ فَتَحَ يَدَهُ فَإِذَا فِيهَا نَوًى فَقَالَ «مَا هَذَا؟» فَقَالُوا هَذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ نَوًى قَالَ «نَوَى أَيِّ شَيْءٍ؟» قَالُوا نَوَى سَنَةٍ قَالَ «صَدَقْتُمْ جَاءَكُمْ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ يَتَعَاهَدُ دِينَكُمْ لَتَسْلُكُنَّ سُنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ حَذْوَ النَّعْلِ بِالنَّعْلِ وَلَتَأْخُذُنَّ بِمِثْلِِ أَخْذِهُمْ إِنْ شِبْرًا فَشِبْرًا وَإِنْ ذِرَاعًا فَذِرَاعًا وَإِنْ بَاعًا فَبَاعًا حَتَّى لَو دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ دَخَلْتُمْ فِيهِ إِلَّا أَنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى مُوسَى سَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلَّا فِرْقَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّهَا افْتَرَقَتْ عَلَى عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَى إِحْدَى وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّكُمْ تَكُونُونَ عَلَى اثْنَتَيْنِ وَسَبْعِينَ فِرْقَةً كُلُّهَا فِي النَّارِ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةٌ الْإِسْلَامُ وَجَمَاعَتُهُمْ»  

"لتَسْلُكُنَّ سنَنَ من كان قبلكم حَذْوَ النعل بالنعلِ، وَلتأخُذُنَّ بمثلِ أخْذِهم، إِنْ شبرًا فَشِبرٌ، وإن ذِرَاعًا فذراعٌ، وإن بَاعًا فباعٌ، حتى لو دخلوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ دخلتم فيه، إِلَّا أن بنى إسرائيل افترقت على موسى على إحدى وسبعينَ فرقةً كُلُّهَا ضالَّةٌ إلا فرقةً واحدةً: الإسلامَ وجَمَاعَتَهم، ثم إِنّما افترقت على عيسى إِحدَى وسبعينَ فرقَةً، كُلُّهَا ضَالَّةٌ إِلا واحدةً، الإسلامَ وجمَاعَتَهم، ثم إِنكم تكونون على ثنتين وسبعين فرقة كلها ضالة إلا الإسلام وجماعتهم".