The Ansar or followers of the Mahdi, is a Sufi

Sufism

Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...

 religious movement in the Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

 whose followers are disciples of Muhammad Ahmad

Muhammad Ahmad

Muhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah was a religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, on June 29, 1881, proclaimed himself as the Mahdi or messianic redeemer of the Islamic faith...

 (12 August 1844 – 22 June 1885), the self-proclaimed Mahdi

Mahdi

In Islamic eschatology, the Mahdi is the prophesied redeemer of Islam who will stay on Earth for seven, nine or nineteen years- before the Day of Judgment and, alongside Jesus, will rid the world of wrongdoing, injustice and tyranny.In Shia Islam, the belief in the Mahdi is a "central religious...

.

Northern Sudan has long been inhabited by Arabic-speaking people who farm the Nile

Nile

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...

 valley and follow a nomadic pastoral way of life elsewhere.
Sudan came under Egyptian suzerainty when an Ottoman force conquered and occupied the region in 1820–21.
Muhammed Ahmad, a Sudanese religious leader based on Aba Island

Aba Island

Aba Island is an island on the White Nile to the south of Khartoum, Sudan. It is the original home of the Mahdi in Sudan and the spiritual base of the Umma Party...

, proclaimed himself Mahdi on 29 June 1881. His followers won a series of victories against the Egyptians culminating in the capture of Kartoum in January 1885. Muhammed Ahmad died a few months later, but his successor the Khalifa 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad maintained the independence of the Mahdist state until 1898, when an Anglo-Egyptian force regained control. The Mahdi's eldest surviving son Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi was one of the leading religious and political figures during the colonial era in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan , and continued to exert great authority as leader of the Neo-Mahdists after Sudan became independent...

 was the religious and political leader of the Ansar throughout most of the colonial era of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...

 (1898-1955) and for a few years after Sudan gained independence in January 1956. His descendants have led the movement since then.

Mahdiyyah

Muhammed Ahmad claimed to receive direct inspiration from God. After taking power in Sudan between 1883 and 1885 he established the Mahdiyyah, or Mahdist regime, which was ruled by a modified version of the shari'a legal system.
To distinguish his followers from adherents of other Sufi sects, Muhammed Ahmad forbade the use of the word darwish (commonly known as "dervish

Dervish

A Dervish or Darvesh is someone treading a Sufi Muslim ascetic path or "Tariqah", known for their extreme poverty and austerity, similar to mendicant friars in Christianity or Hindu/Buddhist/Jain sadhus.-Etymology:The Persian word darvīsh is of ancient origin and descends from a Proto-Iranian...

" in English) to describe his followers, replacing it with the title Ansar

Ansar (Islam)

Ansar is an Islamic term that literally means "helpers" and denotes the Medinan citizens that helped Muhammad and the Muhajirun on the arrival to the city after the migration to Medina...

, the term the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

 used for the people of Medina

Medina

Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...

 who welcomed him and his followers after their flight from Mecca

Mecca

Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...

.

Muhammed Ahmed appointed three Kalifas, or lieutenants: 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad, Ali wad Hilu

Ali wad Hilu

Ali wad Hilu was one of the three Kalifas or lieutenants of Muhammad Ahmad , who styled himself the Mahdi, the others being Muhammad Sharif and 'Abd Allah ibn Muhammad....

 and his young cousin and son in law Muhammad Sharif

Muhammad Sharif, Kalifa

Sayyid Muhammad Sharif was one of the three Kalifas or lieutenants of Muhammad Ahmad , who styled himself the Mahdi, the others being Ali wad Hilu and Abdallahi ibn Muhammad....

. He emulated the Prophet Muhammed, who had four Kalifa's. 'Abd Allah corresponded to Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr

Abu Bakr was a senior companion and the father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He ruled over the Rashidun Caliphate from 632-634 CE when he became the first Muslim Caliph following Muhammad's death...

, Ali wad Hilu to Umar

Umar

`Umar ibn al-Khattāb c. 2 November , was a leading companion and adviser to the Islamic prophet Muhammad who later became the second Muslim Caliph after Muhammad's death....

 and Muhammad Sharif to Ali

Ali

' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...

. Muhammad al-Sanusi was to have taken the place of Uthman, but refused the honor.
When the Mahdi died on 22 June 1885 a few months after capturing Khartoum

Khartoum

Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...

, 'Abd Allah became head of state, although he had to deal with challenges from members of the Mahdi's family and from Khalifa Muhammad Sharif.
The Mahdist state, or Mahdiyah, was at first run on military lines as a jihad state, with the courts enforcing Sharia law and the precepts of the Mahdi, which had equal force. Later the Khalifa established a more traditional administration. The state was expansionary, and engaged in wars with Ethiopia.

In 1892 General Herbert Kitchener was appointed commander of the Egyptian army. After careful preparations and a slow advance, on 2 September 1898 the main Anglo-Egyptian forces engaged with a Mahdist army of 52,000 at the Battle of Omdurman

Battle of Omdurman

At the Battle of Omdurman , an army commanded by the British Gen. Sir Herbert Kitchener defeated the army of Abdullah al-Taashi, the successor to the self-proclaimed Mahdi Muhammad Ahmad...

.
With greatly superior firepower, the British won a crushing victory. The Khalifa fled, and a year later was killed with other Mahdist leaders at the Battle of Umm Diwaykarat

Battle of Umm Diwaykarat

The Battle of Umm Diwaykarat on November 25, 1899 marked the final obliteration of Muhammad Ahmad's short-lived Sudanese empire, when Anglo-Egyptian forces under the command of Lord Kitchener wiped out what was left of the Mahdist armies under the command of the Abdallahi ibn Muhammad, known as the...

 (25 November, 1899).

Beliefs

According to the hadith

Hadith

The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....

or traditional sayings of Muhammed, "no one will more resemble me than al-Mahdi".
It is said that the Mahdi will appear "after hearts become hard and the earth is filled with wickedness".
Following him, the Antichrist will appear, with all the accompanying signs that the Hour has come, one of which will be the descent of the prophet Isa (Jesus).
The Sunnis believe that Jesus will slay the anti-Christ.

Muhammed Ahmed revealed himself as "Al Mahdi al Muntazar", "the awaited guide in the right path", usually seen as the Mahdi. His mission was to redeem the raithful and to prepare the way for the second coming of the Prophet Isa.
His movement was fundamentalist, demanding a return to the early principles of Islam.
Men were to abstain from alcohol and tobacco, and women were to be strictly secluded.
Ahmed taught that jihad

Jihad

Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...

, meaning holy war, was a duty incumbent upon all Muslims, rather than hajj

Hajj

The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...

, or the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The creed was altered to say that "Muhammad Ahmad is the Mahdi of God and the representative of His Prophet".
Another change was that Zakat, or almsgiving, became a tax that was paid to the state.

Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

After the fall of the Mahdiyyah in 1898, at first the British severely restricted the movements and activity of the Mahdi's son, Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi

Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi was one of the leading religious and political figures during the colonial era in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan , and continued to exert great authority as leader of the Neo-Mahdists after Sudan became independent...

.
However, he soon emerged as the Sayyid (leader) of the Ansar.
Throughout most of the colonial era of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan

Anglo-Egyptian Sudan referred to the manner by which Sudan was administered between 1899 and 1956, when it was a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom.-Union with Egypt:...

 the British considered him important as a moderate leader of the Mahdists.
In the early 1920s, between 5,000 and 15,000 pilgrims were coming to Aba Island

Aba Island

Aba Island is an island on the White Nile to the south of Khartoum, Sudan. It is the original home of the Mahdi in Sudan and the spiritual base of the Umma Party...

 each year to celebrate Ramadan

Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...

.
Many of them identified 'Abd al-Rahman with the prophet Jesus, and assumed that he would drive the Christian colonists out of Sudan. The British found that the Sayyid was in correspondence with agents and leaders in Nigeria

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

 and Cameroon

Cameroon

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...

, predicting the eventual victory of the Mahdists over the Christians. They blamed him for unrest in these colonies.
After pilgrims from West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

 held mass demonstrations on Aba Island in 1924, the Sayyid was told to put a stop to the pilgrimages.

Sayyid 'Ali al-Mirghani, leader of the Khatmiyya

Khatmiyya

The Khatmiyya is a Sufi order or tariqa founded by Sayyid Mohammed Uthman al-Mirghani al-Khatim.The Khatmiyya is the largest Sufi order in Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia...

 movement, was often in opposition to Sayyid 'Abd al-Rahman and the Ansars.
Both of these Sufi movements organized youth groups, and the leaders of both movements supported competing parties in the run-up to independence.
The Anglo-Egyptian treaty of 1936

Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936

The Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936 was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egypt; it is officially known as The Treaty of Alliance Between His Majesty, in Respect of the United Kingdom, and His Majesty, the King of Egypt...

 discussed the future of the Sudan, among other subjects. The Sudanese were not consulted. Educated Sudanese became increasingly concerned, and Ansar appealed to many people in this group. The Ansar leaders portrayed the Mahdi to them as the first Sudanese nationalist, and Sayyid 'Abd al-Rahman was to many an attractive leader of the independence movement.
In contrast, Sayyid 'Ali al-Mirghani and the Khatmiyya became identified with the pro-Egyptian school of thought that favored unity of the Nile Valley.

In August 1944 'Abd al-Rahman met with senior Congress members and tribal leaders to discuss formation of a pro-independence political party that was not associated with Mahdism. In February 1945 the al-Umma party had been organized and the party's first secretary, Abdullah Khalil, applied for a government license. The constitution of the party made no mention of Sayyid 'Abd al-Rahman or of the Ansar. The only visible link to 'Abd al-Rahman was the party's reliance on him for funding.
Sayyid 'Abd al-Rahman died in 1959 aged 74.
His son al-Sayyid al-Saddiq al-Mahdi was imam of the Ansar for the next two years.
After al-Sayyid's death in 1961 he was succeeded as imam by his brother Sayyid al-Hadi al-Mahdi, while al-Sadiq's son Sadiq al-Mahdi

Sadiq al-Mahdi

Sadiq al-Mahdi is a Sudanese political and religious figure...

 took over the leadership of the Umma party.

Recent political involvement

The Umma party has generally been associated with the Ansar movement.
Sadiq al-Mahdi

Sadiq al-Mahdi

Sadiq al-Mahdi is a Sudanese political and religious figure...

, the grandson of 'Abd al-Rahman, was elected president of the Umma party in November 1964.
In November 1969 Gaafar Nimeiry

Gaafar Nimeiry

Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry was the Nubian President of Sudan from 1969 to 1985...

 became Prime Minister at the head of a mainly civilian government.
Ansar-led conservative forces were opposed to the government, and their leader al-Hadi al-Mahdi withdrew to his base in Aba Island

Aba Island

Aba Island is an island on the White Nile to the south of Khartoum, Sudan. It is the original home of the Mahdi in Sudan and the spiritual base of the Umma Party...

.
In March 1970 Nimeiri tried to visit the island to talk with the imam, but was prevented by hostile crowds.
Fighting later broke out between government forces opposed by up to 30,000 Ansar.
Army units backed up by air support assaulted the island, and about 3,000 people died.

Sadig Al-Mahdi was arrested in 1970, and for many years alternated between spells in prison in Sudan and periods of exile.
In 1985 Sadiq al-Mahdi was again elected president of the Umma party. In the 1986 elections he became Prime Minister of Sudan, holding office until the government was overthrown in 1989. After further imprisonment and exile, Sadiq al-Mahdi returned to Sudan in 2000 and in 2002 was elected Imam of the Ansar.
In 2003 Sadiq was re-elected President of Umma.