Lisan al-Dawat

Lisan al-Dawat (Arabic: لسان الدعوة‎) , also transcribed as Lisan ud-Dawat, is the language of the Dawoodi Bohras, an Ismaili Shia Muslim community. The name of the language itself is an Arabic term that means "the Language of the Dawat". The Dawah refers to the Ismaili missionary order headed by the Imam of the era.

There are only around 1 million Dawoodi Bohras worldwide, and thus only around 1 million speakers of this unique language and culture.

Dawoodi Bohras have a blend of cultures, including Yemeni, Egyptian, African, Pakistani, and Indian. They speak Lisan al-Dawat in addition to their local languages; the language is written in Arabic script and derived from Urdu, Gujarati, and Arabic.

It is a language that has its roots in Gujarati grammar but incorporates a heavy amount of Arabic, Urdu, and Persian. It is written in the Arabic script. Some key works in Lisan al-Dawat are the nasihats (advice in the form of poetry) written by Syedna Taher Saifuddin, the previous Dai al-Mutlaq. Some of the famous nasihats recited regularly by Bohras are "Allah Ta'ala Nu Hamd Tu Karje" (Always remember to thank God) and "Biradar Tu Nasihat Sun" (My brother, listen to this advice).

Many in the Dawoodi Bohras community look upon Lisan al-Dawat as a bridge for their Gujarati community to Arabic, the language of the Quran.