Mahdism and Neo-Mahdism in the Sudan: from hyper Salafism to consistent Maqasidism

Abstract

Like all other Mahdist movements, the Sudanese Mahdiyya was about to fade in history after the collapse in 1898 - 1899 of the militant, isolated and uncompromising religio-political regime that supported it. Nonetheless, Mahdism, or rather Neo- Mahdism, survived under the umbrella of a political party, the Umma Party, and a religious organization, Hay'at Shu'En al-AnIEr (AnIEr [Mahdists] Association), which together currently represent a sizeable and powerful modern religio-political force in the Sudan, thanks to its pragmatic and enlightened 20th century leadership who masterminded a radical change in the movement's religious and political orientation. It discarded violence and pursued peaceful means to achieve transfer of power and political change. Besides, it abandoned religious fanaticism and persuasively argued that Islam is basically a tolerant and inclusive religion that respects and accepts the "other". This laid the foundation for the Islamic alternative that is currently presented by the Neo-Mahdists under the name Al-0aiwah Al- IslEmiyyah (The Islamic Resurgence Programme) to contribute in the resolution of the ongoing stubborn crisis of identity in the country. The paper analyses the underlying factors for this dramatic, but most welcome, transformation from hyper Salavism to consistent maqasidm and studies its impact in the country and elsewhere. In a nutshell, this is an interesting case where Islam is used in the promotion of peaceful and accommodative political and religious agenda.