The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): It is narrated from Anas ibn Malik: "We were sitting in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and were speaking about a man who prays, fasts, gives charity and pays zakat." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to us: "I do not know him." We said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! He worships Allah, glorifies Him, sanctifies Him and declares His Oneness." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "I do not know him." While we were speaking of him, he himself appeared among us, and we said [to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)]: "This is the very man." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) looked at him and said to Abu Bakr: "Take my sword and go to this man and strike his neck, for he is the first to join the party of Satan." Abu Bakr [went after him] to the mosque and found him bowing in ruku, and said: "By Allah, I will not kill him, for the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) has forbidden us from killing those who pray." Then he returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), I found him praying." The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Sit down, for you are not the man for this task. O Umar! Rise and take my sword from Abu Bakr, go to the mosque and strike his neck." Umar says: "I went to the mosque and found him in prostration and said: 'By Allah, I will not kill him, for one better than me (that is, Allah) has granted him safety.' I returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! I found him in prostration.'" The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Sit down, for you too are not the man for this task. O Ali (peace be upon him)! Rise, for you are able to kill him. If you find him, kill him, for if you do so, no discord will ever arise among my ummah." Ali (peace be upon him) says: "I took the sword and entered the mosque, but I did not see him; I returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! I did not see him.'" He said: "O Abul Hasan (peace be upon him)! Indeed the ummah of Musa (peace be upon him) split into seventy-one sects, one saved and the rest in the Fire; and the ummah of Isa (peace be upon him) split into seventy-two sects, one saved and the rest in the Fire; and soon my ummah too will split into seventy-three sects, one saved and the rest in the Fire." I said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Which group will be saved?" He said: "Those who cling and hold fast to the beliefs upon which you and your companions stand." It was then that Allah revealed concerning that man the verse ثانِیَ عِطْفِهِ [Turning away haughtily], and this verse states that this man is the first who will bring about innovations and misguidance. Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him) [also] says: "By Allah! None was able to bring that man to destruction except Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), who slew him at the Battle of Siffin." And he continues: لَهُ فِی الدُّنْیا خِزْیٌ [for him is disgrace in this world], meaning [for him in this world will be] the disgrace of being killed, وَ نُذِیقُهُ یَوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ عَذابَ الْحَرِیقِ [and on the Day of Resurrection We will make him taste the punishment of burning], because at the Battle of Siffin he had risen to fight against Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).