Ismailya Sufis in El Obiad, Sudan, celebrate the birthday of the founder of their order, Ash-Shaikh Ismail Alwali ibn Abdullah ibn Ismail (1793-1863).
The Ismailya Order was founded in 1821 AD (1241 H) and is the only genuine and original Sudanese Sufi order, as all the Sufi orders in Sudan were introduced by Shaikhs from outside the country. The Ismailyia Sufi Order is spread widely in North Kordofan, Ondurman, White Nile and in Northern States, with an estimated following of 25,000.