Attributes of the 73 groups

Question:

What are the characteristics of the 73 groups according to the teachings of Islam?

Answer:

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “This community will be divided into 73 groups. 72 groups are in the fire and one group is in Paradise. 13 of the 73 groups claim that they love us the people of the house. One of them is in Paradise and 12 of them are in the fire. As for the saved group that is rightly guided, hopeful, faithful, godly, agreeable and rational, they put their trust in me and submit to my command. They obey me and renounce my enemy and love me and hate my enemy. It is the group that recognizes my right, my leadership and the duty of obedience to me, which the Book of God and the Sunnah of His Prophet imposed on them. They will neither apostate nor fall into doubt, for God brings light into their hearts through the recognition of our right. He recognizes them from their privilege and enlightens them and takes them by their foreheads. He internalizes it among our followers until their hearts find peace and are filled with certainty that does not mingle with any doubt.” [Kitab Sulaim, page 169]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: إن الأمة ستفترق على ثلاث وسبعين فرقة، اثنتان وسبعون فرقة في النار وفرقة في الجنة. وثلاث عشرة فرقة من الثلاث والسبعين تنتحل محبتنا أهل البيت، واحدة منها في الجنة واثنتا عشرة في النار وأما الفرقة الناجية المهدية المؤملة المؤمنة المسلمة الموافقة المرشدة فهي المؤتمنة بي المسلمة لأمري المطيعة لي المتبرئة من عدوي المحبة لي والمبغضة لعدوي، التي قد عرفت حقي وإمامتي وفرض طاعتي من كتاب الله وسنة نبيه، فلم ترتد ولم تشك لما قد نور الله في قلبها من معرفة حقنا وعرفها من فضلها، وألهمها وأخذها بنواصيها فأدخلها في شيعتنا حتى اطمأنت قلوبها واستيقنت يقينا لا يخالطه شك

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “I and the guardians authorized by me until the last day are rightly guided leaders, whose closeness was attributed to God and His Prophet in numerous verses of the book. He kept us perfectly pure and gave us infallibility. He called us to be witnesses of His creatures, His proofs of His earth, His guardians of the knowledge He has given us, the mines of His wisdom and the interpreters of His revelation. He granted it to us that we are with the Qur’an and the Qur’an is with us. We neither separate from him nor does he separate from us until we reach the Messenger (s.) at his pool of paradise exactly as he said. This is the one of the 73 groups that is saved from the fire, from any seduction, deception and doubt and these are the true inhabitants of Paradise and these are 70,000 who will enter Paradise without accounting.” [Kitab Sulaim, pages 169-170]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: إني أنا وأوصيائي بعدي إلى يوم القيامة هداة مهتدون، الذين قرنهم الله بنفسه ونبيه في آي من الكتاب كثيرة، وطهرنا وعصمنا وجعلنا شهداء على خلقه وحجته في أرضه وخزانه على علمه ومعادن حكمه وتراجمة وحيه وجعلنا مع القرآن والقرآن معنا لا نفارقه ولا يفارقنا حتى نرد على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله حوضه كما قال وتلك الفرقة الواحدة من الثلاث والسبعين فرقة هي الناجية من النار ومن جميع الفتن والضلالات والشبهات، وهم من أهل الجنة حقا، وهم سبعون ألفا يدخلون الجنة بغير حساب

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “The 72 groups all submit to a belief that is not based on truth. They are helpers of the doctrine of Satan and are instructed in it by Iblis and his guardians. They are the enemies of God and the enemies of His Messenger and the enemies of the believers and they enter the fire without accounting. They have nothing to do with God and His Messenger and have been oblivious of God and His Messenger. They associate others with Allah and disbelieve in Him. They serve others instead of God without knowing it, while they think they have done a work and on the Day of Resurrection they say: “By God our Lord, we were not idolaters. “(6:23) “On the day that God raises them all up. Then they will swear to Him as they swear to you, and think that they now have a foundation. Behold, they are liars after all.” (58:18) [Kitab Sulaim, page 170]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: وجميع تلك الفرق الاثنتين والسبعين هم المتدينون بغير الحق، الناصرون لدين الشيطان الآخذون عن إبليس وأوليائه، هم أعداء الله تعالى وأعداء رسوله وأعداء المؤمنين، يدخلون النار بغير حساب. براء من الله ومن رسوله، نسوا الله ورسوله وأشركوا بالله وكفروا به وعبدوا غير الله من حيث لا يعلمون، وهم يحسبون أنهم يحسنون صنعا، يقولون يوم القيامة: والله ربنا ما كنا مشركين يحلفون له كما يحلفون لكم ويحسبون أنهم على شئ ألا إنهم هم الكاذبون

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that he said to Imam Ali (a.): “O Commander of the Faithful, do you hold a view about him who stops, who does not take you as Imams, who does not hold you as enemies, who does not hate you, who is not fanatical, who does not recognize you as a guardian, who does not renounce your enemies and say: “I do not know. While he is sincere?” He said: “He does not belong to the 73 groups. The Prophet Muhammad (s.) addressed with the 73 groups the apostate enemies of the people of the House (a.), who boast of themselves and call for their doctrine of faith. One group out of the 73 follows the doctrine of the Merciful One, and the 72 groups follow the doctrine of Satan and love those who accept them and renounce those who oppose them.” [Kitab Sulaim, page 170]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: فقلت: يا أمير المؤمنين، أرأيت من قد وقف فلم يأتم بكم ولم يعادكم ولم ينصب لكم ولم يتعصب ولم يتولكم ولم يتبرء من عدوكم وقال: لا أدري وهو صادق؟ قال: ليس أولئك من الثلاث والسبعين فرقة، إنما عنى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله بالثلاث والسبعين فرقة الباغين الناصبين الذين قد شهروا أنفسهم ودعوا إلى دينهم. ففرقة واحدة منها تدين بدين الرحمن، واثنتان وسبعون تدين بدين الشيطان وتتولى على قبولها وتتبرأ ممن خالفها

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that Imam Ali (a. ) said: “As for the one who worships God alone, who believes in the Messenger (s.) , who does not recognize either the closeness (Wilayah) to us or the misguidance of our enemies, who does not make any rules, who does not introduce anything either permitted or forbidden, who accepts everything about which there is no disagreement among the disagreeing members of this community, about which God has commanded something, who restrains himself in that about which there is disagreement between the disagreeing members of this community, whether God has commanded or forbidden something, so that he makes no regulations and introduces neither permitted nor forbidden things, who does not know, and who leaves the knowledge to God in view of what he is in doubt about, then he is saved. This stage is between believers and idolaters. Those are the majority and the greatest portion of the people and they are companions of accounting, of the scales, of height and fire. They are those for whom the prophets, angels and believers intercede so that they escape from the fire and they are called the people of fire. As for the believers, they enter Paradise without reckoning, and as for the idolaters, they enter the fire without reckoning. The reckoning is meant for those who, with these characteristics, belong to the people between the believers and idolaters and whose hearts are seducible and sinful. They are those who mix up one good deed with another bad deed, and the weak who are not in a position to be deceived by unbelief and idolatry. They are those who are not aware of hostility and are not guided to a way of being knowledgeable believers. Therefore they are the companions of the highest and those are subject to the will of God. If God lets one of them enter the fire, He does so because of their sins and if He forgives one of them, He does so because of His mercy.” [Kitab Sulaim, pages 170 – 172]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: فأما من وحد الله وآمن برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ولم يعرف ولايتنا ولا ضلالة عدونا ولم ينصب شيئا ولم يحل ولم يحرم، وأخذ بجميع ما ليس بين المختلفين من الأمة فيه خلاف في أن الله عز وجل أمر به، وكف عما بين المختلفين من الأمة خلاف في أن الله أمر به أو نهى عنه، فلم ينصب شيئا ولم يحلل ولم يحرم ولا يعلم ورد علم ما أشكل عليه إلى الله فهذا ناج وهذه الطبقة بين المؤمنين وبين المشركين، هم أعظم الناس وجلهم، وهم أصحاب الحساب والموازين والأعراف، والجهنميون الذين يشفع لهم الأنبياء والملائكة والمؤمنون، ويخرجون من النار فيسمون الجهنميين فأما المؤمنون فينجون ويدخلون الجنة بغير حساب، أما المشركون فيدخلون النار بغير حساب. وإنما الحساب على أهل هذه الصفات بين المؤمنين والمشركين، والمؤلفة قلوبهم والمقترفة والذين خلطوا عملا صالحا وآخر سيئا والمستضعفين الذين لا يستطيعون حيلة الكفر والشرك ولا يحسنون أن ينصبوا ولا يهتدون سبيلا إلى أن يكونوا مؤمنين عارفين، فهم أصحاب الأعراف، وهؤلاء لله فيهم المشيئة. إن الله عز وجل إن يدخل أحدا منهم النار فبذنبه وإن تجاوز عنه فبرحمته

Sulaim Ibn Qais reported that he said to Imam Ali (a.): “God protect you, does the knowledgeable and hospitable believer enter the fire?” He said: “No.” I said: “Does he enter paradise who does not know his lmam?” He said: No, unless God wants him to.” I said: “Does an unbeliever or idolater enter the paradise?” He said: “No one but an unbeliever enters the fire unless God wills it.” I said: “May God protect you. Is there anyone in Paradise who meets God while he is a believer, recognizes his imam and obeys him?” He said: “Yes, if he meets God and is one of the believers about whom the Exalted One says: “And those who believe and do good works, these are the companions of Paradise; they will dwell therein forever.” (2:82) “They who believe and fear God.” (10:63) “To those who believe and do not disguise their faith with wrongdoing belongs safety, and they follow the law.” (6:82) I said: “What about that one of them who meets God while committing great (sins)?” He said: “It is the will of God that judges him. If He punishes him, He does so because of his sins, and if He forgives him, He does so because of His mercy.” I said: “Does he enter the fire even though he believes?” He said: “Yes, because of his sins, for he does not belong to the believers whom God meant by His Word: “Those among men, the ones most worthy of Abraham, are those who followed him, and this prophet and those who believe. And God is closest to the faithful.” (3:68) For those whom He meant are among those who will not fear or grieve: “They have nothing to fear, and they will not grieve. (2:38) “To those who believe and do not cover their faith with unjust acts.” (6:82) [Kitab Sulaim, page 172]

عن أبان بن أبي عياش عن سليم بن قيس رضي الله عنهما عن علي بن أبي طالب عليه السلام قال: فقلت: أصلحك الله، أيدخل النار المؤمن العارف الداعي؟ قال عليه السلام: لا. قلت: أفيدخل الجنة من لا يعرف إمامه؟ قال عليه السلام: لا، إلا أن يشاء الله. قلت: أيدخل الجنة كافر أو مشرك؟ قال: لا يدخل النار إلا كافر، إلا أن يشاء الله. قلت: أصلحك الله، فمن لقي الله مؤمنا عارفا بإمامه مطيعا له، أمن أهل الجنة هو؟ قال: نعم إذا لقي الله وهو مؤمن من الذين قال الله عز وجل: الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات الذين آمنوا وكانوا يتقون الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم قلت: فمن لقي الله منهم على الكبائر؟ قال: هو في مشيته، إن عذبه فبذنبه وإن تجاوز عنه فبرحمته. قلت: فيدخله النار وهو مؤمن؟ قال: نعم بذنبه، لأنه ليس من المؤمنين الذين عنى الله أنه ولي المؤمنين لأن الذين عنى الله أنه لهم ولي وأنه لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون هم المؤمنون الذين يتقون الله والذين عملوا الصالحات والذين لم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم