Sulaym says: “I and Ali (AS) were sitting with people surrounding him. A leader of Jews and a leader of Christians came to him. So he turned to the leader of Jews and said: “How many sects have Jews been separated into?” He replied: “I have got it written in a book.” So Ali (AS) said: “May Allah kill the leader of that community who is asked about a question about his religion and he says he has it in his book.”
Then he asked the leader of Christians: “How many sects do Christians have?” He replied: “This many and this many.” So Ali (AS) said: “If only you had said like what your companion said instead of you saying and making a mistake.”
Then Ali (AS) turned to both of them and people, and said: “By God, I know Torah better than the people of Torah, and know Injil more than the people of Injil, and know Quran more than the people of Quran. I am telling you how many sects you have got.
I have heard the Holy Prophet (SAW) say: “The Jews have 7 sects, from which 70 will go to Hell and one will go to Heaven and it is the sect that followed the wasi and Musa (AS). The Christians have 72 sects, 7 will go to Hell and one will go to Heaven and it is that sect who followed Isa’s wasi, and my Ummah will have 73 sects, 72 will go to Hell and one will go to Heaven and that sect is the one that follows my wasi.”
He said: “Then he hit his hand on my shoulder and said: “3 sects from 73 will all give connections to my love and devotion from them, will be in Heaven and 2 in Hell.”