What were the three sects of Islam?

Ahlé sunnah wal jama'ah: known today as sunni. These were the Muslims who held the same beliefs from the time of Muhammed. They used a system of caliphate (sucessor) where there was one ruler for the Muslim empire. Shiism: known today as Shia. This sect developed during the caliphate of Uthman. Shias believed that Muhammed's cousin Ali was the rightful caliph. They rejected the other companions of Muhammed who believed otherwise. They split and later those who believed in Ali had formed their own belief system. They adopted a system of 12 Imams instead of caliphs. Kharajite: non existant today. They were a group of Muslims from outer locations in the Arab gulf who totally rejected both Shia and Sunni claims. Their existence dwindled as disputes between Shias and Sunnis ended.