Muhammad Sharif, Kalifa
Encyclopedia
Sayyid Muhammad Sharif was one of the three Kalifas or lieutenants of Muhammad Ahmad
(1844-1885), who styled himself the Mahdi
, the others being Ali wad Hilu
and Abdallahi ibn Muhammad
.
Muhammad Sharif was the son of Hamid Muhammad, first cousin of the Mahdi.
was known. In practice, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad was the effective ruler after dealing with challenges to his authority from members of the Mahdi's family, and became generally known as "The Kalifa".
In 1886 Khalifa Muhammad Sherif led a coup attempt by the Ashraf, kinsmen of the Mahdi, but Abdullahi defeated the challenge without difficulty.
On 23 November 1891, Ashraf troops led by Muhammed Sharif surrounded the Mahdi's tomb and prepared for a showdown. The Khalifa did not trust his own forces, so negotiated an amnesty. Soon after, he took his revenge.
The Khalifa would not kill any member of the family, but exiled their supporters from Omdurman
and had them killed at Fashoda. When Muhammad Sharif objected to this action, the Kalifa arranged for him to be tried by a court with 44 judges. He was found guilty in March 1892 and imprisoned for a four year term.
The charge was that he planned to depose 'Abd Allahi and assume the caliphate himself.
(2 September 1898) in which the Mahdist forces were defeated by an Anglo-Egyptian force led by General Herbert Kitchener, Khalifa Sherif surrendered to the British.
Muhammad Sharif was placed under house arrest in the village of Shakaba
near Wad Madani
with two of the Mahdi's sons.
In 1899, hearing that they planned to join the Khalifa (who was still at large), the three were arrested.
There was a skirmish when an attempt was made to rescue them. Sherif and the Mahdi's two sons were found guilty by a court martial trial and were shot.
A different version of what happened is that the government heard a rumor that the group was conducting Mahdist propaganda. A force of government troops was dispatched which fired on the group at random, killing Khalifa Muhammad Sharif and two of the Mahdi's sons, al-Fadil and al-Bushra. A third son, Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi
, was badly wounded.
One of Muhammad Sharif's wives was the Sharifa Zainab bint al-Mahdi, daughter of the Mahdi, and their son Husain al-Khalifa Muhammad Sharif (1888-1928) was a pioneer journalist in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
.
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...
(1844-1885), who styled himself the 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...
, the others being 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 Abdallahi ibn Muhammad
Abdallahi ibn Muhammad
Abdullah Ibn-Mohammed or Abdullah al-Taaisha, also known as "The Khalifa" was a Sudanese Ansar General and ruler.-Early years:Abdullah was born into the Ta'aisha Baqqara tribe in Darfur around 1846 and was trained and educated as a preacher and holy man.He became a follower of Mohammed Ahmed "the...
.
Muhammad Sharif was the son of Hamid Muhammad, first cousin of the Mahdi.
Career
When Muhammed Ahmad died on 22 June 1885, in theory the Kalifas were jointly responsible for ruling the "Mahdiyah", as the Mahdist state of SudanSudan
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...
was known. In practice, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad was the effective ruler after dealing with challenges to his authority from members of the Mahdi's family, and became generally known as "The Kalifa".
In 1886 Khalifa Muhammad Sherif led a coup attempt by the Ashraf, kinsmen of the Mahdi, but Abdullahi defeated the challenge without difficulty.
On 23 November 1891, Ashraf troops led by Muhammed Sharif surrounded the Mahdi's tomb and prepared for a showdown. The Khalifa did not trust his own forces, so negotiated an amnesty. Soon after, he took his revenge.
The Khalifa would not kill any member of the family, but exiled their supporters from Omdurman
Omdurman
Omdurman is the second largest city in Sudan and Khartoum State, lying on the western banks of the River Nile, opposite the capital, Khartoum. Omdurman has a population of 2,395,159 and is the national centre of commerce...
and had them killed at Fashoda. When Muhammad Sharif objected to this action, the Kalifa arranged for him to be tried by a court with 44 judges. He was found guilty in March 1892 and imprisoned for a four year term.
The charge was that he planned to depose 'Abd Allahi and assume the caliphate himself.
Death
After the Battle of OmdurmanBattle 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...
(2 September 1898) in which the Mahdist forces were defeated by an Anglo-Egyptian force led by General Herbert Kitchener, Khalifa Sherif surrendered to the British.
Muhammad Sharif was placed under house arrest in the village of Shakaba
Shakaba
al-Shakaba is a community in Al Jazirah state, Sudan. It lies on the west shore of the Blue Nile near Barakat, to the south of Wad Madani.The village is within the Gezira scheme, which provides irrigation water for cotton cultivation....
near Wad Madani
Wad Madani
Wad Madani is the capital of the Al Jazirah state in east-central Sudan.Wad Madani lies on the west bank of the Blue Nile, nearly 85 miles southeast of Khartoum....
with two of the Mahdi's sons.
In 1899, hearing that they planned to join the Khalifa (who was still at large), the three were arrested.
There was a skirmish when an attempt was made to rescue them. Sherif and the Mahdi's two sons were found guilty by a court martial trial and were shot.
A different version of what happened is that the government heard a rumor that the group was conducting Mahdist propaganda. A force of government troops was dispatched which fired on the group at random, killing Khalifa Muhammad Sharif and two of the Mahdi's sons, al-Fadil and al-Bushra. A third 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 badly wounded.
One of Muhammad Sharif's wives was the Sharifa Zainab bint al-Mahdi, daughter of the Mahdi, and their son Husain al-Khalifa Muhammad Sharif (1888-1928) was a pioneer journalist in 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:...
.