Editing Ismailism (section)

===Pir and Dawah===
{{Main|Da'i al-Mutlaq}}
Just as the Imām is seen by Ismailis as the manifestation of the first-created Light, during the period between the Imāmates of Muhammad ibn Ismail and al-Madhi Billah, the relationship between the teacher and the student became a sacred one, and Dai became a position much beyond a normal missionary. Dai passed on the sacred and hidden knowledge of the Imām to the student, who could then use that information to ascend to higher levels. First, the student loved Dai, and from the Dai, he learned to love the Imām, who was but an interceder on behalf of God. In [[Nizari]] [[Ismailism]], the head Dai is called the [[Pir (Sufism)|Pir]]. The Imam is the Pir in Nizari Ismailism.<ref name="DaftaryIsmailis1990p104" />