The term Da'i al-Mutlaq literally meaning 'the absolute, or unrestricted, missionary', is the most senior spiritual rank and office in Tayyibi Isma'ilism. The Da'i al-Mutlaq has headed the Tayyibi community since the seclusion of the 21st Tayyibi Imam, at-Tayyib Abu'l-Qasim, traditionally placed in 528 AH/1134 AD.
Tayyibi Isma'ilism is the only surviving sect of the Musta'li branch of Isma'ilism, the other being the extinct Hafizi branch. Followers of Tayyibi Isma'ilism are found in various Bohra communities: Dawoodi, Sulaymani, and Alavi.
The Sulaymani branch of Tayyibi Isma'ilism is an Islamic community, of which around 70,000 members reside in Yemen, while a few thousand Sulaymani Bohras can be found in India. The Sulaymanis are sometimes headed by a Da'i al-Mutlaq from the Makrami family.
The Atba-e-Malak community are a branch of Musta'ali Isma'ili Shi'a Islam that broke off from the mainstream Dawoodi Bohra after the death of the 46th Da'i al-Mutlaq, under the leadership of Moulana Abdul Hussain Jivaji Saheb in 1890. They are based in Nagpur in India. There are several hundred followers of this branch of Musta'ali Isma'ili Shi'a Islam. They have further split into two more branches:
Hatim ibn Ibrahim al-Hamidi, Al-Hutaib, Yemen) was the third Tayyibi Isma'ili Dāʿī al-Muṭlaq. He was of the Banu Hamdan tribe of Yemen and succeeded his father, the second Dai Syedna Ibrahim, to the religious post.
Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin Bin Syedna Zakiuddin was the 42nd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 41st Da'i Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin Bin Badruddin, to the religious post.
Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah was the 27th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 26th, Dai Syedna Dawood Bin Ajabshah, to the religious post.
Syedna Sheikh Adam Safiuddin was the 28th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Tayyibi sect of Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 27th Dai Syedna Dawood Bin Qutubshah to the religious post.
Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin bin Sulaiman was the 24th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Taiyabi Ismailis. He succeeded Mohammad Ezzuddin to the religious post.
Syedna Dawood Bin Maulai Ajab Shah Burhanuddin in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India was the 26th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 25th Dai Syedna Jalal Shamshuddin bin Hasan to the religious post.
Syedna Mohammad Ezzuddin was the 23rd Dai of the Dawoodi Bohra, a sub-sect of Isma'ili Shi'i Islam. The Dawoodi Bohra trace their belief system back to Yemen, where it evolved from the Fatimid Caliphate and where they were persecuted due to their differences from mainstream Sunni Islam and Zaydi Islam. Around 1567 CE, the Dawat was relocated to Gujarat, India.
Syedna Ibrahim Wajihuddin Bin Syedi AbdulQadir Hakimuddin was the 39th Dā'ī of the Dawoodi Bohras. He succeeded the 38th Dā'ī Syedna Ismail Badruddin II to the religious post.
Syedna Hebatullah-il-Muʾayyad Fiddeen bin Syedna Ibrahim Wajihuddin was the 40th Dā'ī al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra sect. He succeeded his father, the 39th Dā'ī al-Mutlaq, Syedna Ibrahim Wajihuddin to the religious post.
Syedi Hasan Pir was a Taiyabi Ismaili saint of the 14th century in India. Hasan Pir was fifth Wali-ul-Hind on behalf of the Ismaili Taiyabi Da'i al-Mutlaq of Yemen. He was famous in the court of the Sultan of Patan, during the time of the Delhi Sultan Nasir ud din Muhammad Shah III and from lineage of Moulai Bharmal. He was martyred on 23rd Moharram 795 AH/ 1392 AD, and his mausoleum is located at Denmaal/Delmal, Gujarat.
Syedna Jalal Shamshuddin bin Hasan was the 25th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra branch of Musta‘lī Ismaili Islam. He was the first Ismaili Dai in India after the shift of Daawat office from Yemen to India. He succeeded the 24th Dai Syedna Yusuf Najmuddin ibn Sulaiman to the religious post.
SyednaFeer-Khan Shujauddin was the 33rd Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 32nd Da'i Syedna Qutubuddin Shaheed to the religious post. He became Da'i al-Mutlaq in 1056 AH, and his period of Dawat was from 1056-1065 AH.
Syedna Ali Shamsuddin bin Maulaya Hasan was the 30th Dai of the Dawoodi Bohras. He succeeded the 29th Dai Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin to the religious post. Syedna Shamsuddin became Da'i al-Mutlaq in 1041 AH. His period of Dawat was 1041–1042 AH.
Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin Bin Syedna Ismail Badruddin was the 41st Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Ismaili Musta‘lī Islam. He succeeded the 40th Da'i Hebatullah-il-Moayed Fiddeen, to the religious post.
Syedna Abduttayyeb Zakiuddin II was the 35th Da'i al-Mutlaq of the Dawoodi Bohras. He succeeded the 34th Dai Syedna Ismail Badruddin I to the religious post. Syedna Zakiuddin became Da'i al-Mutlaq in 1085 AH/1676 AD. His period of Dawat was 1085–1110 AH/1676–1692 AD. He is a descendant of Moulaya Bharmal.
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