Lisan al-Dawat

Lisan al-Dawat ( _ar. 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. The Imams in Shia theology are the divinely inspired leaders of the community tracing their lineage to Ali and Fatema, son-in-law and daughter of the Prophet Muhammad. This language is essentially that which is spoken by the Sahib-e-Zaman or the leader of the era. In the absence of the current Imam of the era, the Dai al-Mutlaq or chief missionary, Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin TUS leads the Bohra community and his language is the present Lisan al-Dawat.

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.