Al-Bushi's Teaching and His Role in Political Life

Al-Bushi's Teaching and His Political Activity: We have previously stated that Al-Bushi's teaching was influenced by the calls for the renaissance of the nation, and this trend of thought was great within him. In his early youth, Al-Bushi read what the Society of Umm al-Qura wrote, that society which researched and investigated the reasons for the backwardness of Muslims (60). This style of reading left a deep impression on him. From this stage of his life, he said: (I read small books that spoke about the reasons for the backwardness of Muslims, so I took a global Islamic direction until I thought of going to the forests after I completed my mission to preach the Islamic religion. (This) was in the first period. When I returned from the year I spent in engineering, there was a modification in the idea. First, it was not possible because my knowledge did not qualify me to be a preacher, and I was still at the beginning of the path. I witnessed many things that I greatly disliked in the society here in the capital and in the college. I noticed these things in the society and the college, and they made me change my idea and say, "I must complete my studies here and fight these things.") Then he speaks about the corruption that was managed by the administration of Gordon College, about the independence that the English exercised over the poor and simple students, and about the policies of the British government under the global situation, and how the English were directing their thinking towards separating Sudan from Egypt and controlling its destiny without partnership with the Egyptians, and their policy of strengthening sects and tribal leaders, and weakening the Arabic language and Islam in the rest of the sects and leaders, and continuing to distance them from Islam and its language, and seeking to bring them closer to the English language, and making England their Qibla (61). Al-Bushi realized from the moment he set foot in Gordon College that the British government had been planning to remove Egyptians from Sudan. This was evident in the removal of a number of senior Azhar sheikhs who were teaching at the college, such as Sheikh Abdul Raouf Abdul Salam and Sheikh Al-Dawwi, and replacing them with Sudanese (62). Al-Bushi's opinion of the ruling English was clear; he considered them deceitful, and he expressed this by saying: (The English entered Sudan wearing the fez, the symbol, and because he is the Caliph of the Ottoman Muslims, believing that they are his helpers and hands and bearers of the banner of justice, in execution of his wishes, and because it is in the Nile Valley, the simple people were deceived by their attire and their gentle demeanor.

African Studies 114