Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V was on Wednesday named the 50th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims following the death of his father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday at the age of 88, in accordance with historical Shia Imami Ismaili tradition. 88-year-old Karim Al-Hussaini was the founder and chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network.
Sharing a post on X (formerly Twitter), Aga Khan Development Network wrote, “As we honour the legacy of our founder, Prince Karim Aga Khan, we continue to work with our partners to improve the quality of life for individuals and communities across the world, as he wished, irrespective of their religious affiliations or origins.”
Who was Aga Khan? Billionaire Shia Ismaili Muslim leader who was descendant of…, once gifted Indian govt his…
According to the official website of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), it is dedicated to improving the quality of life of those in need, mainly in Asia and Africa, irrespective of their origin, faith, or gender. The Development Network works in over 30 countries around the world and currently operates over 1,000 programmes and institutions – many of which date back over 60 years, and some over 100.
As per the official website, Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV was a direct descendant of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, who was married to Hazrat Bibi Fatimat-az-Zahra, the Prophet’s daughter and only surviving child.
Speaking of his early life, Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV was born on December 13, 1936, in Geneva. The eldest son of Prince Aly Khan by his first wife, Joan Yarde-Buller, he spent his early childhood in Nairobi, Kenya and attended the Institut Le Rosey in Switzerland. He graduated from Harvard University in 1959 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Islamic History.
In 1969, he married Sarah Frances Croker Poole, who assumed the Muslim name Begum Salimah. They divorced in 1995. In 1998, he married Gabriele Renate Thyssen, who assumed the Muslim name Begum Inaara. They divorced in 2011. He is survived by his children Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad, his brother Prince Amyn Muhammad, sister Princess Yasmin, and four grandchildren.
He was the Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The Ismailis belong to the Shia branch of Islam, one of the two major interpretations of Islam, the Sunni being the other. Like all Muslims, Ismailis believe that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) was the last and final Prophet of Allah, and that the Holy Qur’an, Allah’s final message to humankind, was revealed through him. At the age of just 20, he was appointed as the 49th Imam and spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims.
In April 2015, Pranab Mukherjee, the then President of India, conferred the Padma Vibhushan on Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, one of India’s highest civilian honors, in recognition of his significant contributions to social development in the country. He was bestowed with the title of His Highness by the British government. The Aga Khan Trust has undertaken the restoration of numerous important monuments, such as Humayun’s Tomb and the stunning nursery in Delhi, along with nearly 100 monuments in and around Hyderabad.
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