See map Appendix B, below

used to come with some of his followers to participate in these ritual and Sufi practices. 2

It was the second phase of al-Makki’s Khildfa after the Mahdia, which witnessed the greater change and development that transformed the Isma’iliyya into an organized religious order, not very much different from the presentday tariqa. Like all other religious orders during the Mahdia, the Isma’iliyya was disbanded and its practices suspended. By accepting the overlordship of the Mahdia, it had forfeited much of its

1. See map Appendix B, below.

2. Y. Mikha’il, Memoirs^ trans. S.M. Nur, pp.63-5.

claim to spiritual leadership; and "by moving with the Mahdi to Omdurman, al-Makki had weakened the social and religious ties with his followers whom he had left "behind. Without those ties and without its founding saint to give it renewed spiritual support, the Isma'Iliyya had to depend on other methods for revival after the Mahdia.

To re-attract its old followers, it could no longer depend on the

charisma of Sh. Isma'il, "but it had to renew their faith in the continued strength and vitality of the tariqa. To ensure continuity, methods had to he developed to recruit new members and for the order to surive it had to make some rules to regulate the relationship among its members, between the followers and the head of the tariqa and between the tariqa

• •

and the community. Then in order to facilitate and strengthen the ties between the head of the tariqa and its members, now dispersed all over Omdurman and the western Sudan, a form of administration had to be organized.

The Isma'Iliyya attempted to regain the confidence of its

followers first by reasserting their beliefs in the saintly powers of Sh. Isma'il and secondly by reassuring them of the transmission of those saintly privileges and baraka to his son and Khalifa3 al-Makki. To stimulate the zeal of the followers, the qubba was renovated, a harts (guard) was appointed to keep it clean, to guard its sanctuary, to instruct the visitors on the pilgrimage observances, and to collect the offerings and gifts. The followers were strongly urged to make regular visits to the tomb for the blessing, to invoke the assistance of God through the Walt, or simply to renew their spiritual ties with him.

The mosque - adjacent to the qubba - also became a focal point for the

followers to gather regularly for prayers and to maintain their contacts with the Shaykh. Then there was a renewed enthusiasm for the collection and preservation of the relics of Sh. Isma'il, especially his writings.

His works were therefore very carefully gathered together and copied by his grandson Bashir b. al-Makki. Those with some other items possessed by Isma'il came to acquire a great sentimental value and were kept in much respect. Furthermore, the anniversary of his death was also fixed to be celebrated by all his followers.

Al-Makki's position as the true heir of the spiritual powers and baraka of the saint was also emphasized and in this respect the

favourable attitude of the Condominium Government towards him was a great help. The fact that he was chosen as one of the religious notables and the respect shown to him by the Government officials and some of the army officers was portrayed as convincing proof that God had bestowed His grace upon him, so that he could easily obtain audience of the rulers

(wa-laqiya,l qabul), and could therefore mediate with them and arbitrate on behalf of his followers. His powers to perform miracles were widely asserted. Many of these were collected in a special book called

- 1

al-nafa^at al-miskiyya f i rl Kavamat al-Makktyya. Prophetic dreams which suggested the ultimate victory of the disciples of al-Makki over all others, such as the one related by a certain 'Ubayd Nasir, were

*

widely spread and held to be proof of al-Makki's sainthood. 'Ubayd related that he had seen al-Makki in a dream leading people in the Friday prayer. After finishing his sermon, al-Makki ordered the congregation to stand up for prayer stating that only those who really believed in him

1. I could not obtain this book, though reference has often been made to it. - See al-nash'a al-Makkiyya (obituary of al-Makki), ms. Sud,

Govt. Archives, 1/82/1321.

would be able to do so. Only some - of whom 'Ubayd was one - managed to obey the order, but the rest failed to stand. 'Ubayd who was not a follower of al-Makki prior to this incident, was then convinced after that dream and came to be one of h^.s devoted disciples,^

Furthermore, in order to induce the followers to return to their tariqa and to recruit more, al-Makkl wrote a treatise, enumerating its good qualities and virtues, called Kitab al-ahadith al-Saniyya,..3 by2 which he hoped to convince them that the Isma'Iliyya was mainly based on the Qur'an and the Sunna and thus offered a most direct and easy way leading towards God.

By 1902, as a result of all those efforts and some other factors