Da'i
A da'i (Arabic: داعي, romanized: dāʿī, lit. 'inviter, caller', [ˈdæːʕi(ː)]) is generally someone who engages in da'wah, the act of inviting people to Islam.[1] But is more specifically an important religious office amongst the Isma'ili Shi'i Muslims, which has been held by important scholars through history.
In the Fatimid Caliphate era, the term dāʿī was used to refer to important religious leaders other than the hereditary Imams, and the Da'wah or "Mission" is a clerical-style organisation. Literally meaning "absolute missionary" or "unrestricted missionary", Da'i al-Mutlaq is nowadays the title of the head of the Dawoodi Bohra community.[2]
Some of the greatest Ismaili da'is are:
- al-Qadi al-Nu'man (d. 974)
- al-Mu'ayyad fi'l-Din al-Shirazi (1000-1078)
- Idris Imad al-Din (died c. 1460), one of the most important sources on the Fatimids.
See also
- Dawah
- Da'i al-Mutlaq, "the absolute (unrestricted) missionary" (Arabic: الداعي المطلق)
- Hujja
- List of da'is
References
- ^ "Oxford Islamic Studies Online". Oxfordislamicstudies.com. 2008-05-06. Retrieved 2012-09-19.
- ^ List of Dawoodi Bohra Da'is Archived July 16, 2012, at the Wayback Machine