The term Dā'ī al-Mutlaq or ad-Da'i ul-Mutlaq (Arabic: الداعي المطلق) (pl. Du'at Mutlaqeen دعاة مطلقين) literally means "the absolute or unrestricted missionary" pl. Du'aat-دعاۃ. The office of Da'i al-Mutlaq is a spiritual rank in the Isma'ili Da'wah which became more explicit and operational after the seclusion of the 21st Fatimid Imam of Cairo, At-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim in 528 AH/1134 AD. According to Tayyibi-Ismaili tradition, the Da'i al-Mutlaq is the highest authority in the faith in the absence of the imam; in other words, the Da'i al-Mutlaq has the same authority as the imam (for example a dean could be a professor and professor could be a dean). Before the seclusion of the 21st Imam, the Da’i al-Mutlaq operated under the direct orders of the Imam and his trusted associates in regions where faithful were present, either living openly propounding their faith, or secretly due to fear of persecution.
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