The Mahdi's followers numbered seventy men, including Abd al-Rahman al-Ta'aishi, one of them.

Al-Ta'aishi left his country with his father, riding a bull. In 1764, they were accustomed to the Baggara custom of sacrificing bulls and cows.

They arrived in the land of the Mahdi in the eastern part of Kordofan. His father died of smallpox, and al-Ta'aishi was left without a mount. One of the sheikhs gave him a donkey.

He rode it until he met Sheikh Mad Sharief, and stayed with him until he became aware of his mother, as we mentioned when discussing his allegiance to the Mahdi.

Al-Ta'aishi was cunning and shrewd. He would sit before the Mahdi on his knees, with his head bowed to the ground, as if he had never seen the Mahdi's face. Many simple people believed him.

The Mahdi was pleased with his claims and described to him the tribes of Darfur, the support and aid he expected from them, the difficulties he might encounter, and the extent of his call among them. He sent him back to his country with his mother to attend to his affairs, which he had left behind.

He returned with her and stayed with her for a while until she became pregnant. Some say that the Mahdi was shot in the arm, and al-Ta'aishi advised him to hide his wounds so that those around him would not realize he was not special.

I believe this statement is false, because if the Mahdi had been wounded in that battle, the grave diggers would have known about it and would have told him this divine secret.

The Mahdi wanted to ride a horse in that battle, and al-Ta'aishi told him...