Our ancestor) and this connection is not a connection of flesh and blood, but rather a connection of lineage (the poles of the Sammaniyya Da'wa). The Sufi way, which sees lineage and establishes the Sufi origin, and the disciple, in Sufism, is like a son who inherits these knowledge, just as a son inherits worldly possessions. And it appears to us, through what we have presented, the extent of Sufi culture that permeated the Mahdist idea and encompassed it. Likewise, we have clarified the intellectual currents that prevailed at that time and prepared society to accept the Mahdiyya. Sufi thought contributed to the creation of these atmospheres, was imbued with them, and benefited greatly from them in formulating its theories and forming its ideas, which ensured its acceptance and satisfaction among multiple segments of Sudanese society.

Ahmed Othman Ibrahim The Mahdist Idea And Theory Pages 11