Islāh and Tajdīd - The case of the Sudanese Mahdiyya 1881-1898

The 18th century is often viewed as a “dark age” of Islamic history. Itwas characterized by a general sense of decline, and the disintegration un-der a variety of pressures of the great and powerful Muslim political enti-ties, particularly the Ottoman state. Some 19th century rulers, of whomthe best known are Muhammad ‘Ali of Egypt (1805-1848) and SultanMahmiid I1 (1807-1839),and intellectuals like Rifda al-Taht8wi and Khayral-Din Pasha, “were not primarily concerned with doctrinal issues or withcreating religiously oriented roles for themselves. ” l Instead they werechiefly preoccupied with the problem of inner decay, and felt that thiscould best be arrested by adopting European ideas and techniques. But this“imitative foreign solution,”as appropriately called by a prominent Muslimthinker and intellectual,”2was vigorously criticized by the more conserva-tive and “fundamentalist”Muslims who viewed the reform program of thoseadaptionist Westernizers as contrary to religion and tradition. They wantedto maintain and develop the 18th century dogmatic spirit that aimed at thesocio-moral reconstruction of the Muslim society along strictly Islamic lines.They, in particular, advocated a literal return to the idealistic and romanticsociety at the time of the Prophet and al-Rashidiin. Hence their only andexclusive model was the First Islamic State in history of the 7th centuryC. E.,and as such provided an inspiration for the subsequent 20th centurySalafiyyah. This militant “fundamentalism” reached a peak in theMuwahiddun-commonly known as the Wahhabi-movement founded inArabia by Muhammad b. ‘Abd al-Wahhab (1703-1792),and had significantimpact elsewhere in the Muslim world. The role of Muhammad Ahmed b.‘Abdullah (1844-18851,the self-proclaimed Sudanese Mahd; was presum-ably an extension-if not a replica-of this uncompromising, and often fa-natic, mood. His movement-the Sudanese Mahdiyya-should therefore becritically studied within this context and framework that AbuSulayman calls“the imitative historical solution.