Why did religious scholars known as faqihs support Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi?

Religious scholars known as faqihs supported Muhammad Ahmad al-Mahdi because they were deeply dissatisfied with the state of religion in the Sudan under Egyptian rule. They viewed the prevailing Egyptian orthodoxy as legalistic, unappealing, and responsible for a decline in religious integrity.12

These holy men looked to al-Mahdi to fulfill his mission of purging the Sudan of those they considered faithless and restoring the Islamic faith to its pristine, original form. By proclaiming himself the Mahdi—a divinely guided reformer—Muhammad Ahmad offered a vision of renewal that resonated with their desire to overcome what they perceived as theological heresy and secular maladministration.12