Chapter One The Mahdiya and the Sufi Orders First: The Origin of Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi and his Connection to the Samaniyya: Accounts agree that Muhammad Ahmad bin Abdullah, the leader of the Mahdist movement in Sudan, was born on August 8, 1844, on the island of Lebb, into a family that claims lineage to the household of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Among the members of this family, Muhammad Ahmad's grandfather was known for his piety and righteousness (1). Muhammad Ahmad's father was a carpenter who built riverboats. His work circumstances led him to move with his four sons (Muhammad Ahmad being the youngest, then a child) to Omdurman, north of Khartoum. There, in that region, his father died and was buried. His sons, after him, turned to their father's trade, except for Muhammad Ahmad, who was the opposite of his brothers. He was inclined towards seeking knowledge and turned to studying the Quran. He first studied jurisprudence and the Quran with his sheikh, Al-Amin Al-Suwayli' in the mosque of Wad 'Aisi in the Gezira. Then he moved to Sheikh Muhammad Al-Khair and studied with him. Afterward, his soul was drawn to joining the Sufi path. He desired to belong to and join the Samaniyya order, and so he did in 1861. The signs of brilliance and excellence began to appear in Muhammad Ahmad with Sheikh Muhammad Sharif, the grandson of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Tayyib, the founder of the order in Sudan (2). He was characterized by asceticism and a keenness for worship and abstaining from worldly adornments, which attracted the attention of his sheikh, Muhammad Sharif. He brought him closer to him and later allowed him to represent him in giving the order (3). In 1870, Muhammad Ahmad left for Aba Island, where his piety became more widespread. A number of admirers and followers gathered around him. Muhammad Ahmad suggested to his sheikh that they move to the Al-Aradib region, and the sheikh accepted his student's suggestion and acted upon it. However, the affection that existed between the teacher Muhammad Sharif and Muhammad Ahmad did not last long. This affection turned into estrangement and then into enmity (4). It appears that the reason for this, according to what is narrated, was the objections Muhammad Ahmad raised against the traditional celebrations held by Sheikh Muhammad Sharif. Makki Shabeika (Dr.): Sudan and the Mahdist Revolution, Part One, from the Battle of Aba to the Siege of Khartoum, published by Khartoum University Press, Khartoum, 1979, p. 9. Nu'um Shuqayr: History of Modern Sudan, Part Three (undated), p. 202. Published by Ghareeb Press, Cairo, 1991. Makki Shabeika (Dr.): Sudan Through the Centuries, Beirut, 1993. Nu'um Shuqayr: Previous source, p. 93.