In Eulogy of Sheikh Al-Turabi.. “Do not think it is merely the death of one man, for the death of a scholar is the death of entire worlds.”

Siddiq Mohammed Othman

Grief has silenced us… It is in the nature of calamities that they paralyze the faculties of sound thought, much like how a heart ailment struck down Sheikh Al-Turabi on the afternoon of Saturday, March 5, 2016. Death is the calamity that the Almighty has not conditioned the human mind to accept, no matter how often it occurs or repeats. The loss of loved ones is an even greater affliction upon the soul, as if it wrenches the very entrails, dragging them toward the hereafter where the deceased now reside.

Thus, the Almighty promises solace to those who are stricken by the calamity of death—if they hasten toward Him, redirecting their thoughts from grief to the righteous path: “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.” They return to the very path upon which souls travel back to their origin. Those who do so must have accumulated an immense reserve of prayers and mercy, which they have consistently maintained and practiced. Therefore, the Almighty blesses them by multiplying their prayers, granting them mercy, and guiding them toward righteousness and success.

Sheikh Al-Turabi was not merely a political leader or an intellectual who amassed knowledge through extensive reading or long practice. Rather, the Almighty had endowed him from the outset with unique qualifications granted only to a select few chosen for special roles. He distinguished himself by possessing the tools to activate sources of knowledge and extract vast insights—so much so that he never feared competition, nor did he hoard or monopolize knowledge. Instead, he was among the most dedicated in imparting the skills and tools of intellectual discovery to others. He tirelessly provoked minds to arm themselves with knowledge, celebrating critical thinking, encouraging it, and persistently initiating discussions.

He often recalled his early years and his commitment to studying language, Hadith, and the Quran under a strict regimen. However, the monotony of life in Sudan did little to challenge his acquired knowledge. It was only when he pursued his studies in British and French universities that the texts he had internalized began to descend upon real-world events, much like the early revelations of the Quran. This drove him to devote all his energies to stirring political and intellectual life in Sudan upon his return from postgraduate studies.

Anyone observing Sheikh Al-Turabi’s journey from the moment he returned from abroad would notice that he was never consumed by personal ambition. The moment he assumed a leadership role, he set about organizing its affairs, structuring its ranks, and refining its methodologies—without isolating himself within its confines at the expense of broader national issues. He believed that monotheism was not merely an abstract creed or an intellectual concept about unseen beliefs, but rather a practical methodology that sought to unify all aspects of life, connecting them to their Creator and drawing inspiration from His oneness. This belief was evident in his approach to issues, whether they concerned public affairs or his own movement.

One such example was his call to end the war in the south and to work toward a comprehensive solution to the constitutional crisis plaguing the country under military rule. With his eloquence, clarity of speech, and strength of argument, he was able to champion moral causes such as freedom over material concerns, even when economic conditions were not dire enough to trigger a revolution against General Abboud’s regime.

Within his movement, he adeptly navigated the debate on whether it should function as a pressure group influencing the two major parties or as an independent entity that collaborated and competed simultaneously. He quickly led his movement into alliances with factions within the major parties, as well as with emerging groups that a traditional Islamic movement would not have previously considered engaging with.

Sheikh Al-Turabi’s approach was always characterized by speed and decisiveness. He swiftly moved his movement beyond the long-standing debate between education and politics, for he saw religious education not as isolated monasticism but as a process tested by real-world events. He believed that life’s challenges were the very subjects of religious education—where one applies what is recited in prayers to the equations of daily life, testing one’s adherence to divine laws.

No one could rival Sheikh Al-Turabi in clarity of vision and purpose. Regardless of the shifts in his circumstances and the trials he faced, he remained steadfast in his commitment and confident in his path. Even during periods of intense political polarization, when his adversaries sought to stifle his growing influence by any means, he masterfully engaged them, using himself as a shield to absorb their attacks and divert their hostility away from his movement.

This strategy was evident in his approach during the May regime. While some of his followers feared for him in the wake of the 1973 student uprisings, he reassured them through a poetic allusion:

“Sing on, O nightingale, and I am near you, O dove,
Do not falter or hold back, as long as you commit no sin.”

Here, he urged them to continue their struggle against the regime without hesitation, but with restraint and within moral bounds. Even in the heat of conflict, he never lost sight of the ethics and limits of opposition. This ability to navigate crises earned him a reputation for pragmatism. When the May regime grew exhausted from confronting its many opponents, he seized the opportunity for reconciliation—demanding nothing for himself or his movement except the freedom to operate. When the regime attempted to lure him with positions of power, he was neither seduced by authority nor intimidated by its machinery. Instead, he took the necessary precautions to set boundaries for his engagement with power, ensuring that his principles remained intact. Only after fulfilling these conditions did he place his trust in Allah and proceed—an approach that ultimately resulted in significant gains for his movement.

During the democratic period following the 1985 uprising, his political rivals sought to isolate him and his movement, citing their past association with the May regime—even though many of these very rivals had also been involved. Yet, he countered their hostility with measured responses, never overstepping the bounds of political discourse. Instead, he continued to engage with his adversaries, diverting their focus onto himself to protect his movement. When the political battle eventually concluded with a major victory for his movement, he did not allow arrogance to create a barrier between him and those who had opposed him. As soon as they showed a willingness to reconcile, he reciprocated with even greater goodwill.

It is astonishing that a man who dominated public discourse for over half a century eluded his adversaries’ attempts to tarnish him, despite how often he made himself a target to shield his movement. There is hardly anyone in modern history who navigated the complexities of political life yet emerged with such an unblemished financial and ethical record. Even his fiercest critics could not accuse him of corruption or moral compromise.

From the moment Sheikh Al-Turabi’s character and methodology became evident, it was clear that he had elevated the standards of competition in pursuit of righteousness to unprecedented levels. Yet, having upheld these high standards until his very last moments, he left behind a daunting legacy for those who seek to follow in his footsteps—not only in his relentless pursuit of spiritual excellence but also in his unwavering integrity.

Sheikh Al-Turabi could not have achieved what he did without the unwavering support of a steadfast woman. Whenever tyranny sought to suppress him, she stood like Winnie Mandela, and when oppression stripped him of his freedom, she exhausted the oppressors with her resilience. She was more than a caretaker of her family; she was a pillar of support for the youth and students of the Islamic movement. That woman was Wisal Al-Sadiq Al-Mahdi.

As I mourn the loss of a man whose absence leaves the podiums of thought and righteousness widowed, I am overwhelmed by sorrow. My grief knows no equal, and my longing for his pure, luminous soul is unparalleled. As I write these words, soaring thousands of feet above European skies heavy with clouds, my heart too is laden with grief. Yet, I console myself with the hope that the Almighty will grant me his companionship in the eternal abode, just as He blessed me with his presence in this fleeting world.