It is also noted that the sons of Sayyid Ahmed were not associated with the government, near or far. Rather, they were angered by the rulers after World War II. The reason for this was that Sayyids Muhammad Uthman and Muhammad al-Hasan had provided great services to the citizens of Kassala during the period of Italian occupation of the city and after its end. The English government wanted to present awards and medals in appreciation of their efforts. But the two Sayyids refused this matter, because they considered the effort they had made and the assistance they had provided to be intended for the citizens and no one else. Furthermore, these awards and medals bore the emblem of the English state, which is the cross, which contradicts the creed of Muslims. This refusal angered the government and caused it to confiscate a number of lands belonging to the two Sayyids in Kassala (50). It is clear, and from what we have mentioned about the sons of Sayyid Ahmed, we find that they possessed a great deal of piety, asceticism, detachment from prominence, inclination towards seclusion, and attention to religious matters, and not being drawn into disputes and conflicts. It would have been very possible for them to work to create a movement opposing their uncle Sayyid Ali, but they preferred silence and withdrawal for purely faith-based reasons. It is also worth noting the importance of female leadership among the Khatmiyya. The women from the Maraghnah practiced the same spiritual and religious roles that men from the same household performed. Gordon had previously recognized the strength of these virtuous women in societies where loyalty to the Mirghani family prevailed. He asked Sayyid Muhammad Uthman (the closest) to keep the Maraghnah women in the Shendi region, as this would contribute to creating a degree of calm and stability in the region (51). Among the most prominent Maraghnah women who performed spiritual duties were Sayyida Alawiyya and Sayyida Maryam al-Marghani, daughters of Sayyid Hashim bin Muhammad Uthman (al-Khatm).

Same (52) 261 Source: Previous ~A