The Khatmiyya Order: Religion and Politics in Sudan A Reading of the Khatmiyya Order By Dr. Tareq Ahmed Osman*

Introduction: The Khatmiyya Order emerged into Sudanese life with its arrival in Sudan in 1816 AD, at the hands of its founder, Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (al-Khatm). Its presence was a revival of religious movement and a great revivalist endeavor, as its first leader contributed to the Sudanese people's adherence to the Book and the Sunnah. His reformist approach was guided by the path of his teacher, Sayyid Ahmed bin Idris, the founder of the Idrisiyya school, which greatly influenced the formation of the Sudanese religious mindset. Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (al-Kabir) was able to imbue Sudan with a special character. Sayyid Ismail al-Wali (founder of the Ismailia Order) was one of his most prominent disciples, who was profoundly influenced by him. The arrival of Sayyid Muhammad Uthman al-Khatm to Sudan and his subsequent visits created a deep and broad religious current and generated numerous activities that served the pioneering Islamic revival movement. Its impact remained throughout the nineteenth century and a long period of the twentieth century. Sayyid Muhammad Uthman possessed a unique personality, embodying all the qualities of religious leadership: knowledge, piety, and a keen desire to spread the call. In addition, he enjoyed a noble lineage, which endeared him to the local population, leading many to follow him and become his disciples, even though many did not have the opportunity to meet him. On the political level, this early stage of the Khatmiyya Order's existence, marked by Sayyid Muhammad Uthman al-Khatm's journey to Sudan, can be considered a political act. Some have linked the presence of al-Khatm in Sudan to the arrival of the invading Turkish or Egyptian conquest campaign. Despite the fact that this claim is not supported by any evidence, and on the contrary, Sayyid al-Khatm always emphasized that he had no connection with the ruling authorities and refused to associate with them, acting according to the methodology of his teacher, Sayyid Ahmed bin Idris. *Professor at Africa International University.