The Khatmiyya Order: Religion and Politics

Political and Religious Work. Despite the fact that Sayyid Muhammad Uthman had many reasons that would have allowed him greater opportunities to expand his influence and authority over a wide segment of the Khatmiyya followers, Haj Mudawi, for example, described him as the richest Sudanese in terms of money. This is supported by the huge number of real estate and properties confiscated by the Salvation Government upon its establishment throughout Sudan. It is said that the confiscated properties in Greater Khartoum alone amounted to about 707 properties. These properties have many complications, as much of what he owned was not solely his. Perhaps part of it belonged to all members of the family belonging to Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (the second or the closest). Sayyid Ali himself had entered into a dispute with members of his family over the ownership of some lands, especially his famous dispute over Al-Junaynah in Khartoum, in which he particularly disputed with his nephew, Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat). The latter disputed with his uncle not only over land ownership but also over influence within the Khatmiyya Order. Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat) is not an ordinary member of the Mirghani family. He is an important figure in the contemporary history of the Khatmiyya. Imam Hassan al-Banna met him and praised his personality, expressing his admiration for Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat). In fact, the man had aspirations in Sudan for a long time. The British government paid attention to him for a period of time, but its attention to him was not in the same way as the attention received by Sayyid Ali. Strangely, the man died in the same year as Sayyid Ali died. Among Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat)'s disputes with Sayyid Ali was Sayyid Ali's interest in his son, Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (the third), to be his successor and heir to the leadership of the Mirghani House. Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat) was always described as a modern man, playing tennis and encouraging youth, so much so that he established the Al-Mirghani Club in Kassala, a club whose main activities were football, and sports enthusiasts know him today as an important contender in the Premier League. John Voll, the author of the book "The Khatmiyya Order in Sudan," paid attention to Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat) and considered him one of the models who tried to bridge Islam and socialist thought. It seems that the reason for this view is Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (Shambat)'s keenness to provide social services to his followers in the Kassala region. He established a cooperative society for the people of the region and married from them his wife, the mother of his two sons, Sayyid Muhammad Amin and Dr. Ahmed. His wife is from the Mahas tribe.