Letter to General Gordon from Abderrahman en Najoomi and Abdallah en Noor.
In the name of God, the Merciful and Compassionate, blessing be on our lord Mahomed and peace.
From the slaves of their lord, Abderrahhman en Najoomi and Abdallah en Noor, lieutenants of the Mahdi (the expected one, on whom be peace), to Gordon Pasha. May God direct him to the truth.
What we state to thee is: First, that thou art a stranger in the country and to this government, and thou art intelligent and well informed.
What God wishes to reveal neither men nor demons can keep secret; and even if they seem to do so God will accomplish His design in spite of the infidels. At thy first arrival at Kartoum the Imâm, &c. (here follow the customary phrases of respect), wrote to thee to surrender to God and his prophet, and informed thee of the truth, in which there is no lie, and assured thee that after that, if thou didst not submit to the command of God and his prophet, the army of God will come to thee and will destroy that in which thou (hast aspired) to share with God thy Creator (in claiming) rule over His (faithful) servants, while the earth belongs to God, and He causes whom He will of His righteous servants to inherit it.
And, nevertheless, thou hast sent to his Highness a reply different from that desired, and the substance of it (is) thy refusal to obey and submit to what he commanded thee to do. Yet in his desire for thy good he waited and delayed a space of time, expecting that thy sense (reason) would return unto thee, and that thou wouldst consider thy ways, nor rely upon this world and its illusions nor on its transitory possessions (wealth).
Time has now been prolonged, and he has become aware of thy firm resolve not to obey and submit. He has now appointed us, the lieutenants above named, and he has supplied us with trusty men from among his companions—men who love death as ye love life, and who count, in fighting you, on the great reward. Death is dearer to them than their wives or the very best of their possessions.
One man of them in battle is better than a thousand of you. He has provided us with weapons of war—in which thou thinkest there is victory—with Krupp cannon, with mountain guns for battle, in which thou shalt taste of evil if thou turn aside from the way of God.
The desire of the Mahdi (&c.) is for thy good. He did not stop at the previous correspondence, but sent you his messengers with his letter, and he especially sent two Europeans to counsel thee and make the truth known to thee; and this out of mercy and compassion to thee and those with thee (to save thee) from destruction in this world and from the evil of torment in the next. Notwithstanding all this thou hast remained stubborn, and hast turned thy back to counsel in thy greed for transitory power, from which thou must soon be removed (by death), either willingly or unwillingly (either peaceable or violent), and thou hast replied to the Lord of all (on whom be peace) refusing to submit, arguing by quotations from the Koran and other prophecies dictated by thy scribes and thy Ulema, and thou reliest on their proofs with which thou art not acquainted. But the fulfilment of those passages is to be found in the Mahdi (on whom be peace) and his honourable companions.
And know, O honourable Pasha, and all erring Ulema who are with thee—for they do know the truth but do not counsel thee (aright), because they love the grandeur and wealth which they have obtained from thee by deceit and sedition.
And listen—if thine understanding be enlightened—to our advice and to what El Jaber our brother, formerly called George Calamatino, will advise thee, so that if thou dost obey and submit to the command of God and His prophet thou shalt save thyself, and obtain the privilege of saving those who are with thee.
Otherwise do not doubt but that those and those with thee will be destroyed within two days, because the lord of all will, please God, come here, and on his arrival—should he still find thee in rebellion—ye will be destroyed.
Awaiting your decision by bearer.
(Signed).
Dated 21 Zu’l Kâdi, 1301.
12th Sept., 1884.
Postscript.—We also inform thee, O honourable Pasha, that as for the Ulema who are with thee, and on whose sayings thou dependest, all their children and relations are with the Mahdi, and as soon as distress comes to them they will leave thee alone. Outwardly they are bodily with thee; but inwardly their hearts are with us. The news (information) of the city and of thee is constantly supplied to us by the people of the city. Do not let the Ulema, the merchants and the servants, deceive thee, for when thou shalt fall into the grasp (of the Mahdi) they will not help thee nor protect thee.
Listen to our counsel with an attentive ear.
(Signed) Abderrahhman en Najoomi.
Abdallah en Noor.
Same date.
[This letter is more peremptory in tone, and lacks the proper titles of respect given in the former one to General Gordon.]
From General Gordon. (Reply to his honour the Sheikh Abderrahhman en Najoomi.)
Your letter sent by Mr. George Calamatino, who is called El Jâber, has reached us. That which you have made known in it is understood. It is true that this is not my country, and I am a stranger in it, but I am deputed as Governor-General here by the two great Governments, and must therefore direct its affairs as becomes my friendship and compassion for the Moslems.
If there be a man who desires to become a dervish we do not hinder him. With regard to the Ulema, you state that they are all liars, and that their words are worthless. But they have said nothing but what they find declared in the books; nay, all the Ulema of Islâm are plain on the subject.
They do not wish to sleep on the (bare) ground, or to be dressed like dervishes, or to change the clothing to which they have been accustomed from the beginning of the Moslem religion.
We have never sent answers to His Honour Mahomed Achmed, or to any others, at dictation of scribe or any of the Ulema, but by help of the Arabic and English lexicon in our possession, dictating them (myself) word by word; and if you do not believe this send us an eminent man, of good sense, to listen to my words (and hear), whether they are my own or not.
In proof (of what I say) I have received three dervishes from Mahomed Achmed. They had with them the robes, (of a dervish), and I spoke to them many words in Arabic, and I refused the garments (of a dervish which had been sent by them). Was that my own doing, or that of any one else?
But as to the cannons and the guns which ye want to fight us with, we have still many like them.
We have seen from the letters we receive that the Mahdi destroys people without cannons and guns, which is true.
As to the words which George, the Greek afore-named, has said, we do not see any advantage in them (of a visit from him).
With regard to the people and the Ulema, of whom you say that outwardly their bodies are with us, but that their hearts are with you, and that in the day of battle they will desert us and flee to you, be it known unto you that we are not keeping them here, nor preventing them from going to you.
Their going, or not going, are both alike (to us). Why do they not go?
(Signed) Gordon Pasha.
Date 23 Zu’l Kâder.
15th Sept., 1884.