Da'i al-Du'at — the chief missionary
داعي الدعاة
The da'i al-du'at, the great official to whom the headship of the Ismaili da'wa was entrusted under the Fatimids: ranking just below the qadi al-qudat and wearing his dress, the two offices often held by one man. Twelve nuqaba' assisted him in spreading the doctrine and deputies represented him in the provinces — the link between caliph and adherents — administering the oath to initiates directly or by proxy and overseeing the lectures delivered in the majlis al-da'wa, which were submitted to the caliph for approval before being taught; he also collected the najwa of 'believing men and women' at three and a third dirhams, and whoever paid thirty-three dinars received a Fatimid chit bearing the caliph's signature.
At a glance
- Era
- The Buyid, Fatimid and Seljuk Era
- Region
- Egypt & Nile · Maghreb
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
The office
Hasan Ibrahim Hasan notes that it ranked just below the chief judge (qadi al-qudat) and wore his dress, and that the two offices were often combined in one man. 1
Twelve naqibs assisted him in spreading the teachings, and he had deputies in the lands. He was thus the link between the caliph and his followers in the Ismaili mission. 1
His duties
- Taking the oath of allegiance from novices, directly or through his deputies.
- Supervising the lectures in the assembly of the mission, which were presented to the caliph before they were delivered.
- Collecting the contributions (najwa) from the believing men and women, set at three dirhams and a third. Whoever paid thirty-three dinars was given a Fatimid badge, which was a slip bearing the caliph's signature.
Connections
- Related to
- Fatimid Caliphate· The Ismaili Da'wa
People and things also explored
Al-Azhar Mosque· The Dar al-Hikma of Cairo· The Fatimid saddle treasury· The Nizari da'wa's graded recruitment· Abbasid Caliphate· The Ismaili Da'wa· Fatimid Caliphate
Sources
- Tarikh al-Islam — Hasan Ibrahim Hasan, p.405-406
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “Da'i al-Du'at — the chief missionary”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/dai-al-duat/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.