Da'i al-Mutlaq
Encyclopedia
The term Dāʻī al-Mutlaq 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. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/locact93/Ukla_19930010_en_1.htm
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.
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
Islām
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, the term dāʻī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms, and the Daʻwa
Dawah
Da‘wah or Dawah usually denotes the preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation", being the active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite"...
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
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Ismā'īlī tradition, before the last Mustaali
Mustaali
The Musta‘lī Ismā'īlī Muslims are so named because they accept Al-Musta'li as the nineteenth Fatimid caliph and legitimate successor to his father, al-Mustansir...
Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
, Taiyab abi al-Qasim
Taiyab abi al-Qasim
aṭ-Ṭayyib Abī l-Qāṣim was, according to Ṭayyibī Musta‘lid Isma‘ili Muslims, the 21st and the last Fatimid Imām, the hereditary leader of the Muslim community in the direct line of ‘Ali). Abī l-Qāṣim was the son of the 20th Fatimid Imām, Mansur al-Amir Bi-Ahkamillah, was the ruler of Egypt from...
went into state of occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
, his father, the 20th Imām al-Amīr had instructed Queen Arwa al-Sulayhi
Arwa al-Sulayhi
Arwa al-Sulayhi c. 1048–1138,death:22nd Shabaan,532 AH) was the long-reigning ruler of Yemen, firstly through her first two husbands and then as sole ruler, from 1067 until her death in 1138...
/Al-Hurra Al-Malika
Al-Hurra Al-Malika
al-Sayyida al-Hurrat-ul Malika Asma Bint Shibab al-Sulayhiyya was Muslim Malika of Yemen. The title means "The Most Noble Lady who is independent, the woman sovereign who bows to no superior authority, Queen". She was married to Sultan Ali al-Sulahi, who entrusted much of the management of the...
in Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
to anoint a vicegerent after the occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
- 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
Dawoodi Bohra
Dawoodi Bohra is a subsect of Ismāʿīlī Shīʿa Islām. While the Dawoodi Bohra is based in India, their belief system originates in Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam...
branch of Mustaʻlī Ismā'īlī, Dr. Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin is considered the 52nd Dāʻī al-Mutlaq and vicegerent of the occulted Fatimid
Fatimid
The Fatimid Islamic Caliphate or al-Fāṭimiyyūn was a Berber Shia Muslim caliphate first centered in Tunisia and later in Egypt that ruled over varying areas of the Maghreb, Sudan, Sicily, the Levant, and Hijaz from 5 January 909 to 1171.The caliphate was ruled by the Fatimids, who established the...
21st Imam. During the Imam's occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
, 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
English law
English law is the legal system of England and Wales, and is the basis of common law legal systems used in most Commonwealth countries and the United States except Louisiana...
as a corporation sole
Corporation sole
A corporation sole is a legal entity consisting of a single incorporated office, occupied by a single man or woman. This allows a corporation to pass vertically in time from one office holder to the next successor-in-office, giving the position legal continuity with each subsequent office...
, by a private act of Parliament passed in 1993. http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/locact93/Ukla_19930010_en_1.htm
This title is also used in the Alavi Bohra
Alavi Bohra
The Alavi Bohras are a Taiyabi Mustaali Ismaili Shi'i Muslim community from Gujarat, India.In India, during the time of the 18th Fatimid Imam Ma'ad al-Mustansir Billah around 1093 AD, the designated learned people who were sent from Yemen by the celebrated missionaries under the guidance of the...
community to refer to their leader (in the Persian form "Da'i-ye Motlæq") for similar reasons.