Dai al-Mutlaq

The term Dā'ī al-Mutlaq or ad-Da'i ul-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق or داعي المطلق‎‎) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary" pl. Du'aat-دعاۃ. In the Fatimid era Ismā'īlī faith, the term dā'ī has been used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imāms working under their commands known as ad-Da'i al-Bilaagh (Arabic: الداعي البلاغ), and the Da'wah or "Mission" is a spiritually guided clerical-style organisation. "The Da'wah" was a term for the Ismā'īlī faith itself from early on. They are also called Dā'ī Syednas.

According to Ismā'īlī Musta'alavī Tayyabī tradition, before the 21st Fatimid Musta'alavi Imam, Taiyab abi al-Qasim went into state of occultation from Cairo in 528 AH/1134 AD, 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. It is the spiritual rank in Isma'ili Da'wah which became more explicit and operational after the seclusion of 21st Imam. After Prophet Mohammad this rank is on the 6th position and after this comes Mazoon-مأذون and Mukaasir-مکاسر who are in turn appointed by the Dā'ī al-Mutlaq.  Before the seclusion, the Da’i or a missionary works under the direct orders of Imaam and his trusted associates in all the 12 islands-جزائر where faithful were present and living openly propounding their faith or secretly due to the fear of their lives. 

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