A Study on the Beginning of Khatmiyya Order and Its Thoughts

The Khatmiyya order has been misunderstood as a shamanistic folk belief not having any doctrine or belonging to any sect. That is why scholars research just the general trend of the order like connections with political circles or Sufi genealogy. But an identity of orders is not on the general trends but on doctrines and rituals. The order is the biggest Sufi order in East Africa. Muhammad Uthman al-Mirghani, the founder of Khatmiyya order, spent his childhood under Imam of Mecca, his grandfather, and his youth as a disciple under the great master of Sufism, Ahmad Ibn Idris. It became a foundation for him for understanding both legalism and mysticism. Having made a trip to East Africa for missionary work, he encountered Sufi orders - Tijaniya order, Qadiriyya order - which proclaim a doctrine of Mahdi that will save the world. This doctrine influences Khatmiyya doctrine that Mirghani family is sealing the Mahdi. Khatmiyya doctrine is a guarantee of salvation for believers of Khatmiyya order. According to al-Mirghani, Mahdi will save the world on the last day of the world. Mahdi should be a descendent of Muhammad and the Mirghani family descended from the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Until Mahdi’s birth, someone in every generation should maintain special knowledge about the secret of the last day and salvation without transmuting. They call the maintainer ‘al-Khatim’, which means the seal of special knowledge from Allah. While agreeing with other Muslims’ salvation by good deeds, Khatmiyya order guarantees the exact salvation for people under the teachings of al-Khatim. They are concerned with an internal state that can make them keep commandments more than the commandment itself. The internal state is the special spiritual knowledge. The special spiritual knowledge is not made by just knowing something but by getting a thorough training. That’s why their training is steadier and stricter than that of other Sufi orders. Many orders tried setting up their orders in eastern Africa but there was no notable success before Khatmiyya order. Al-Mirghani could make suitable doctrines and rituals for Africa because he experienced legalism and mysticism and other Sufi orders.