How Many of the Seventy-two Sects Have Already Appeared

Question

Question: In the noble hadith of the Tirmidhi, it is stated that seventy-two sects will appear within Islam before the Day of Judgement. Kindly inform [us]: how many sects have appeared in the Muslim world up to now?

Answer

The detailed list of the seventy-two sects is very extensive. Consult “Ghiyath al-Lughat”; [such a list] is also found in “Ghunyat al-Talibin”, “al-Shafi‘iyya” and other [books].

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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