Muhammad Ahmad

On June 22, 1885, the 'Mahdi' succumbed to a bacterial disease known as typhus and was entombed in Omdurman, close to Khartoum. Three deputies were chosen by the religious teacher, to lead his followers, of who Abdallahi ibn Muhammad soon became the sole leader.

The movement was carried on after Abdallahi, also known as 'Khalifa', by Ahmad's son Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi. More recently, Imam Sadiq al-Mahdi, the great-great-grandson of Muhammad, is the leader of the Sudanese 'National Umma Party'.

Muhammad Ahmad was born to a boat builder, Abdullah, and his wife in Labab Island-Dongola, Northern Sudan, on August 12, 1845.

A few years later, Abdullah settled down in Karari, a town lying to the north of Omdurman, the largest city of Sudan.

The young child was inclined towards Islamic theology, and was taught by the likes of Sheikh al-Amin al-Suwaylih and Sheikh Muhammad al-Dikayr 'Abdallah Khujali, both renowned religious teachers in Sudan.

Deeply influenced by the teachings of Islam, Ahmad visited Sheikh Muhammad Sharif Nur al-Dai'm, who was a major proponent of the ‘Samaniyya’ Sufi order in Sudan. From 1861-68, the adolescent boy lived with Sharif, mastered the nuances of his religion, and was subsequently honoured with the title of ‘Sheikh’.

After receiving the title of 'Sheikh', Muhammad became a teacher and was allowed to give spiritual education, also known as 'tariqa', to new members of the sect.

In 1870, Ahmad's family moved to Aba Island, south of Khartoum, and here, the young man constructed a mosque so he could teach the 'Quran'. He gained popularity amongst his students for the way he taught, and for his loyalty to the holy book.

Two years later, in 1872, Sheikh Sharif was invited by Muhammad to live in the al-Aradayb region, close to Aba Island. For some time, the two religious leaders fostered a friendly relationship, but eventually their differences began to surface.

In 1878, Sharif started disliking the adulation that his former student was receiving, leading to a violent altercation between the followers of both the teachers. Though the conflict was temporarily sorted out, they had a second contention, which caused Sharif to oust Ahmad from the ‘Samaniyya’ sect.

Post this dissension, the expelled leader, along with his followers, requested rival ‘Samaniyya’ teacher Sheikh al-Qurashi wad al-Zayn to accept him as his follower, and the latter readily obliged. The same year, al-Qurashi died and Muhammad was made the new leader of the order, during which he met his successor, Abdallahi bin Muhammad al-Ta'aishi.

Ahmad, the religious teacher is famous for having led his ‘Samaniyya’ disciples in a long-drawn battle against the Turks and leaders of orthodox Islamic orders, thus establishing his rule in Sudan.