How many Sects are there in Islam and which one is the correct Sect?

Islam is a monotheistic religion where Prophet Muhammad, who is considered the last prophet in a line of messengers from God (Allah) that includes figures like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. The word "Islam" means "submission" or "surrender," and a follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which means "one who submits to Allah."

Muslims believe that the Quran, the holy book of Islam, was revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the angel Gabriel. The Quran is considered the literal word of Allah and serves as the ultimate guide for Muslims in matters of faith, worship, and daily life.

What is Sect?

Sects in Islam refer to different branches or divisions within the religion that have varying interpretations of Islamic teachings and practices. These sects have emerged over time due to differences in theological beliefs, historical events, jurisprudence, or political factors. The two main sects in Islam are Sunni and Shia, but there are also other smaller sects and sub-sects. We are forbidden from creating sects in the Quran. Thus, creating divisions within our religion goes against Allah's will. Those who form sects are referred to as idol worshippers and not followers of Allah.

Quran

[6:159] Those who divide themselves into sects do not belong with you. Their judgment rests with Allah, then He will inform them of everything they had done.

[30:31] You shall submit to Him, reverence Him, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and - whatever you do - do not ever fall into idol worship.

[30:32] (Do not fall in idol worship,) like those who divide their religion into sects; each party rejoicing with what they have.

[42:14] Ironically, they broke up into sects only after the knowledge had come to them, due to jealousy and resentment among themselves. If it were not for a predetermined decision from your Lord to respite them for a definite interim, they would have been judged immediately. Indeed, the later generations who inherited the scripture are full of doubts.

As we saw above, creating divisions within religion is equivalent to turning to idolatry, which is an unpardonable sin (if practiced all the way to death). No matter what a person labels their cult, Allah has not approved of it. Allah despises every group.

Hadith

A very famous and critical hadith, that is used, and sometimes misused, reads:

Awf ibn Malik reported that the Prophet (Muhammad) ﷺ said, 
'The Jews split into 71 sects: one will enter Paradise and 70 will enter Hell. 
The Christians split into 72 sects: 71 will enter Hell and one will enter Paradise. 
By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, my Ummah will split into 73 sects: 
one will enter Paradise and 72 will enter Hell’ (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi).

It's the Sect of Muhammad (pbuh). The hadith further suggests that the saved sect will be those who adhere strictly to the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad and his companions.

A story goes like this, one of Imam Shafi's students in Mecca is said to have slept off while offering prayers at the Kaba mosque. In his dream, he encountered Muhammad (pbuh), who asked him, "Why are you preaching the teaching of Imam Shafi and not mine?" Which book, Ya Muhammad (pbuh), is yours, a student inquired? Muhammd (pbuh) said, it's the (Hadith) Bukhari Sharif.

Controversial approach-

Last Prophet:
Some Sects (Kadiani, Ahmadiyya etc.) in Islam teaches that Muhammad (pbuh) is the last messenger in a theoretical sense. It doesn't mean that a follower of Muhammad (pbuh) is not going to be the Last one after him. However, Muslims in those Sects fail to realize that doubting Allah's authority and engaging in a Kabira (Major) Sin constitute challenging the authority of Allah about our Messenger Muhammad (pbuh), who is the Last messenger. Our faith may be lost if we adhere to and believe these views, and eventually we may then cease to be Muslims.
https://islamasmercy1.blogspot.com/2023/05/khatamun-nabiyyin-last-of-prophets.html

The Day of Ashura: 
Ashura commemorates the passing of Hussain ibn Ali, a revolutionary figure from the 7th century who perished in The Battle of Karbala. Some Muslims have been observed walking naked feet, striking their chests or using swords to scold them. Islam never taught us to have such strong emotions. Why don't we go to the mosque to worship, recite the Quran, and shed tears in sadness over what happened in Karbala instead?

As explained above, we constantly attempt to categorize ourselves into different majhabs and sects and refer to ourselves as Shia, Sunni, Kadiani, Sufi, Mahdavia, Ahmadiyya, Nation of Islam, etc. However, Muhammad (pbuh) himself asserted that his group is the correct sect. The rescued sect, according to his hadith, will be those who carefully follow the guidance given by the Prophet Muhammad and his companions.

Instead, here are some fundamentals with which we might begin our study of Islam-

• The 5 (Five) Pillars of Islam
• The 40 (Forty) Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi
• Bukhari Hadith

The Five Pillars of Islam:

1. Faith (shahada)-The belief that "There is no Allah but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"
2. 5 daily Prayer's (salat)
3. Alms (zakat or charity)
4. Fasting (sawm)
5. Pilgrimage (hajj in Mecca)

The (Forty) 40 Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi
https://40hadithnawawi.com/

Bukhari Hadith
https://sunnah.com/bukhari

Muslim students are urged to look at other Hadith's for advanced knowledge -  https://sunnah.com/

• Sahih Muslim صحيح مسلم
• Sunan an-Nasa'i سنن النسائي
• Sunan Abi Dawud سنن أبي داود
• Jami` at-Tirmidhi جامع الترمذي
• Sunan Ibn Majah سنن ابن ماجه
• Muwatta Malik موطأ مالك
• Musnad Ahmad مسند أحمد
• Sunan ad-Darimi سنن الدارمي
• Collections of Forty الأربعينات
• Riyad as-Salihin رياض الصالحين
• Mishkat al-Masabih مشكاة المصابيح
• Al-Adab Al-Mufrad الأدب المفرد
• Ash-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyah الشمائل المحمدية
• Bulugh al-Maram بلوغ المرام
• Hisn al-Muslim حصن المسلم  etc.

In summary, due to the reasons already mentioned, many Muslims prefer to conceive of themselves as simply Muslims rather than being divided into sects like the Sunni, Shia, or others.