Islam and its Role in Sudanese-Egyptian Relations

When the Mahdist Revolution occurred, this period, which extended from the 19th century until 1881, can be called the period of the dominance of the religious current coming from Egypt. The period before this was a period of dominance and prevalence of the Hijazi current, with the presence of the Egyptian influence. The road to the Hijaz from

Political unity that was established after the Turkish presence.

Culture The Egyptian presence in Sudan deeply and strongly created the Egyptian impact, and left it as a component of modern Sudanese identity.

The manifestations of Islam in the Sudan were concentrated in the Khalwas, Zawiyas, and mosques. The youth memorized the Quran and received religious education in these centers. As we mentioned, these centers contributed to the spread of religion and the Arabic language. Islam contributed to Islamic education and the flourishing of cities and trade. We saw how Al-Azhar had a large share in the Islamic culture that prevailed in Sudan due to the abundant knowledge it provided to the sons of the country.

The Sudanese, despite their acceptance of Egyptian influence and the presence of the Egyptian element in the religious formation in Sudan, retained their own character. They adapted the teachings that came to them in accordance with their reality and environment, and did not simply transfer them without conscious appreciation. This is evidenced by the overwhelming majority who chose the Maliki school of jurisprudence (the jurisprudence of worship) in general, despite the existence of the Shafi'i school in Egypt, and despite the arrival of a number of Shafi'i scholars to Sudan, it did not gain as much acceptance as the Maliki school.

Islam in Sudan took on a special character that surprises you from the first moment. You see it as somewhat different in its manifestations, forms, and shades. We notice this in the paths of Islamic Sufism in Sudan, which is the most prominent thing we took from Egypt through literary and intellectual works that adopted Sufism as their subject. Although the Sudanese read about the famous Egyptian Sufis and about

The Sufi masters of Egypt.