3. He said: Abul Hasan ‘Ali ibn Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abu Talib Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Bahlool, who reported from Abul Abbas Ahmed ibn al-Hasan al-Dhareer, who reported from Ahmed ibn Muhammad, who reported from Ahmed ibn Yahya, who reported from Abu Harun al-Abdi, from Abi Aqeel, who said:

Once we were with Amirul Mu’mineen, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, when he said: "This Ummah will definitely be thrown asunder into seventy-three factions. And by He who controls my Soul, all the factions will have gone astray, except the one which followed me and were among my Shi’ahs."