Da‘i al-mutlaq

Vicegerent and sole representative of the concealed Imam.

In Bohra doctrine the da‘wa is conceived as a spiritual kingdom. In the absence of the Imam the da‘i al mutlaq is the de facto head of the community, empowered with the absolute authority vested in the Imam. Belief in the unbreakable chain of da‘is and in the veracity and authority of the appointed da‘i is the basic criterion for membership in the Tayyabi Da‘wa and Bohra community.