So he withdrew into himself, away from the spotlight, and during that critical period, only the two of them were heard, but they were of great importance, as they were prerequisites for achieving his ambition. The two conditions were: supporting his position as the undisputed leader of the Mahdist family, and confronting Al-Rahman Niaja, a prestigious position, although not sufficient in itself to achieve his ultimate goal. The outbreak of the Great War opened a new chapter in the relationship between the Mahdists and the government, as the government became more tolerant towards the Mahdists and their leader (4). In response to the Ottoman Sultan's call for jihad against Britain and its allies in 1914, the Governor-General of Sudan requested Sudanese support. The government, in any case, was aware of the risks that this change in policy might entail, as Symes, the private secretary to Long, before he later assumed the position of Governor-General in the period 1924-1940, warned Sayyid at the time not to exploit this opportunity to organize the Mahdists in the Gezira. Symes warned Sayyid Abd al-Rahman, without mincing words, that he was personally responsible for any activities aimed at reviving the Mahdiya behind the government's back (5). Nevertheless, Sayyid accepted his mission in the Gezira not out of loyalty to the British, but to achieve his own ends. He expected to be considered and to have more freedom for himself and his followers in return for providing the political services the government wanted. And of course, Sayyid did not feel he would lose anything even if the Allies were defeated in that war; rather, the Mahdists would be in a stronger position and more organized relative to other competing political forces in the rule of Sudan. Sayyid Abd al-Rahman benefited from the ambiguity of the government's policy towards the Mahdiya, ignoring Symes' warnings and moving cautiously in a campaign to organize the Mahdists into a religious group, using his great abilities and talents in maneuvering and exploiting circumstances to achieve his goal. He established a system of delegates and agents outside the government. This system, described by a tribal leader as "joining hands," gradually spread in Kordofan, Darfur, and most other regions, and became the main means of organizing and spreading the Mahdiya (6). He also benefited from the decision of the Chief Justice, which was not ruled upon, that there was no objection to the salary. Sayyid Abd al-Rahman then began to hold public gatherings for his followers, and he worked on printing and encouraging others to do so. By 1918, Sayyid also obtained permission to have his own mosque in Omdurman, which he built in 1926, thus allowing them the right to have their own mosque where they could gather.