Abstract:

I obtained this letter from Archives of the Imperial War Museum, during my studies in England. The letter was sent to Sudanese Muslims in 1915 by Ürgüplü Mustafa Hayri Efendi who was Shaikh of Islam of Ottoman Empire. Letter was written in a fetwa style. In the letter, Shaikh of Islam explained why Muslims should fight, against whom and why. He was explained his arguments according to the verse of Quran, decisions of ulema (Scholars) and fetwa of jihad which was immediately published in Istanbul after the beginning of the World War First. He invited Sudanese Muslims to the jihad beside the Ottoman State. The reasons for jihad were also explained in the letter. In the letter, questions were asked to the ulema (Scholars) from time to time, and answers were given to the questions by ulema. In this way, the words of Shaikh of Islam in the letter, confirmed by Ulama. Thus, although the letter was written by Shaikh of Islam, it is emphasized that Ulema was in unity about jihad. Answered questions are asked again and again in different paragraphs of the letter and answered again. With this method, the calls made to Muslims are repeated and emphasized. In this study, with the examination of the Shaikh of Islam’s letter, the politics of the Ottoman State and it’s ally’s Germany, towards to Muslims of the world, the Jihad policy of the Ottoman State in the First World War, the activities of the Ottoman State in Sudan during the War, the reactions of the Sudanese people to the invitation of Jihad and finally the expectations of Germany from jihad policy were also tried to be discussed and put forward 

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