He said: Abul Hasan Ali b. Khalid al-Maraghi reported to me from Abu Talib Muhammad b. Ahmad b. al-Bahlool, who reported from Abul Abbas Ahmed b. al- Hasan al-Dhareer, who reported from Ahmed b. Muhammad, who reported from Ahmed b. Yahya, who reported from Abu Harun al-Abdi, from Abi Aqeel, who said:
Once we were with AMIRUL MO’MINEEN (ASWS), ALI BIN ABI TALIB (ASWS), 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 Shias."
(Ref: Al - Amali Shaikh Mufeed The Twenty fourth assembly Hadees No. 3