Da'i al-Mutlaq

The term Dāʻī al-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق‎) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary". In Ismā'īlī Islām, the term dāʻī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms, and the Daʻwa or "Mission" is a clerical-style organisation. "The Daʻwa" was a term for the Ismā'īlī faith itself from early on. They are also called Dāʻī Syednas.

According to Tayyabī Mustaʻlī Ismā'īlī tradition, before the last Mustaali Imam, Taiyab abi al-Qasim went into state of occultation, his father, the 20th Imām al-Amīr had instructed Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi/Al-Hurra Al-Malika in Yemen to anoint a vicegerent after the occultation - the Dāʻī al-Mutlaq, who as the Imām's vicegerent, has full authority to govern the community in all matters both spiritual and temporal.

Among the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Mustaʻlī Ismā'īlī, Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is considered the 52nd Dāʻī al-Mutlaq and vicegerent of the occulted Fatimid 21st Imam. During the Imam's occultation, the Dāʻī al-Mutlaq is appointed by his predecessor in office. The Madhun and Mukasir are in turn appointed by the Dāʻī al-Mutlaq.

The Dāʻī al-Mutlaq is recognised in English law as a corporation sole, by a private act of Parliament passed in 1993. [1]

This title is also used in the Alavi Bohra community to refer to their leader (in the Persian form "Da'i-ye Motlæq") for similar reasons.

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