Bismillah
as salam alykom
Was just surfing the board and came accross this thread.
Kate, if you are still reading, pls refer to post #3:
http://islamsms.com/bb/index.php?showtopic=4647
INsh aAllah it has more comprehensive explanation about Mariam salla Allah a`lyha wa sallam
As for your initial question, there is an important point that nobody brought it up here:
Allah in Quran Say:
"Say: "He has power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, <b>and make you to taste the violence of one another</b>." See how variously We explain the Signs, so that they may understand." (Quran 6:65)
As you can see, in this Ayah Allah Prescribed the types of punishment He May befell over a nation when they go astray. According to hadeeth, the Messenger blessing and peace be upon him stayed up all night invoking upon Allah to Save his nation those types of punishment that many precedent nations observed. Allah Sobhanhu wa Taalaa granted him acceptance of the first two, but not the third one. In other words, when Muslims go astray, Allah Shall test them with division among themselves into sects, as you clearly see now.
In a hadeeth that proves the same point, the Messenger blessing and peace be upon him said:
Narrated under the authority of A`wf Bin Malek that he said the Messenger blessing and peace be upon him said: (The Jews were divided into seventy one groups, only one shall be admitted to Jannah and seventy to hell, Nazarines were dividd into seventy two groups, seventy one shall be admitted to hell and only one to Jannah, and I swear with whom Mohammad's sould is in His hands, my Ummah shall be divided into seventy three groups, only one shall be admitted to Jannah and seventy two to hell, they asked O Messenger of Allah who are they, he said those who follow the group and in another narration those who follow my footsteps and my companions way" (reported by Ibn Majeh)
If you look carefully, in his hadeeth, the Messenger blessing and peace be upon him actually swore by Allah, that his nation shall, that was a future projection. At that time, they were not yet divided, but he ascerted that they will in the foreseen. Why? because this is what Allah Taught him. Compare between the Ayah and hadeeth, you will realise that what is happening, is the fruit of our hands, those who dont follow Quran and Sunnah properly divided themselves into certain groups with certain belifes. However, at the end they still say that Allah Is One and Mohammad is the Messenge. Not that there are others who are totally out of Islam, like Bahais for example who claim that there is this Bahaa who came as a messenger.
I think now you got the point kate. Hope I closed an important gap here.
O before I end, although not a part of your question regarding breaking down into different sects. But pls look at the underlined regarding testing the violence of each other. Although it is heart breaking and bleeding, the issue raising crticisim around the globe against Muslims who are killing each other. Well, it is just in the Quran. If this does not happen, Quran would not be the word of Allah and nay it is certainly the word of Allah the only True Deity Worthy of worship.