Aspects of Sufism in the Sudan

Abstract

This thesis is an attempt to study aspects of Sufism in the Sudan. It describes the Sufi orders that existed in the Sudan and their relation to the major Islamic Sufi Orders. The introduction of Sufism in the Sudan has been largely connected with the introduction of Islam. A historical outline of the pre-Islamic Sudan and the gradual process of conversion to Islam is provided. The religious role of Sufism in the Sudan is discussed together with its social and political impact on the society. The life and the teachings of Shaikh al-'Ubaid b. 5adr are presented as an example of a Sudanese Sufi Shaikh and his Tariqsh. As a whole the thesis focuses on the distinctive features characterising Sufism in its Sudanese context.