This is EXACTLY what happened, and this is one of the greatest reasons for our weakness as Muslims throughout history. Aswell as the believers in the nations before us.
The following ahadith explain the issue further in depth;
Narrated Abu Sa'id (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"Surely, you will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, in everything as one arrow resembles another, (i.e. just like them), so much so that even if they entered a hole of a sand-lizard, you would enter it."
They said, "O Allah's Messenger! Do you mean to say that we will follow the Jews and the Christians?"
He replied, "Whom else?" (meaning, of course the Jews and the Christians)."
(Recorded authentically in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Did the Jews and Christian sects fight amongst each other? Yes they did, a great deal.
Muslim reports from Thawban (May Allah be pleased with him) that Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:
"Allah the Most Exalted folded for me the earth, so much so that I saw its easts and wests (i.e. the extremities). The kingdom of my community will reach as far as the earth was folded for me.
The two treasures, the red (gold) and the white (silver) were bestowed on me, I prayed to my Lord that He may not destroy my community by a prevailing famine, and not give their control to an enemy who annihilates them en masse except from among themselves. My Lord said to me, 'Muhammad, if I issue a decree, it is not withdrawn; I have promised your Ummah [nation] that I will not destroy it by a prevailing famine, and I shall not give their control to an enemy -except from among themselves -who exterminates them en masse, even if they are stormed from all sides of the earth; only a section of them will destroy another section, and a section will take as prisoner another section.' "
There are a number of signs in the statement of the Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him):
• Allah folded for him (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) the east and the west (i.e. the lands under the control of Islam); the meaning of it; and that it indeed occurred as he informed; as opposed to the north and the south.
• That two treasures (i.e. treasures of Rome and Persia) were bestowed upon him.
• That two of his D'ua (invocations) on behalf of his nation have been accepted.
• That the third of his invocations was prevented.
• That the sword would be used and that it would not be lifted after that.
• That false prophets would appear among this nation (the Muslims).
• There would always be a victorious group.
• All of this occurred as he mentioned even though each one of them was far from what could have been conceived.
Al-Barqani (May Allah be pleased with him) recorded this Hadith in his Sahih and added to it the following words:
I am afraid about my community of those astray leaders who will lead astray. When the sword is used among my people, it will not be withdrawn from them till the Day of Resurrection, and the Last Hour will not come until the tribes of my people attach themselves to the polytheists and tribes of my people worship idols. There will be among my people thirty great liars each of them asserting that he is a prophet, whereas I am the Seal of the Prophets after whom (me) there will be no Prophet; and a section of my people will continue to hold to the truth and they will be victorious and they will not be harmed by those who oppose them till Allah's Command comes."
Conclusion:
- We see from the many narrations of Prophecies of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him.) It has been Prophecised that there will be amongst us (The Muslims) people who will fall into the exact same traps and patterns that the Jews and the Christians fell into. To the extent that even if they ran into a lizards hole, these Muslims would follow them!
- There will be factions of believers who will fight amongst each other, this started from the murder of Uthman (the 3rd Khalifah/Caliph, and companion of Allaah's Messenger.) The Messenger of Allah spoke the truth when he said the sword will not be withdrawn uptill the Day of Ressurection.
There is further proof in other ahadith where there are other sects like Al Khawaarij, and other less explicit ahadith which state that the Shi'a will follow Al-Dajjaal [the Anti Christ.] Which then proves this point further, because the Messiah/Christ, Jesus son of Mary will come near the end times to fight the Anti Christ. So we see that there will be sects among us even uptill that time (i.e. near the end times when the Anti Christ [Al Dajjaal] comes.)
- We also see from the narrations that Allaah has promised that the Muslims as a whole will never be eradicated, even if the whole world tried to eradicate Islam. Allaah will always allow some to remain upon the truth, who will be on the world to establish His religion which He has sent to us.