Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V has been named as the 50th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The announcement comes after the unsealing of the will left by his late father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon, Portugal on February 4. He was aged 88.
The Ismailis claim that Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny) through his daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima, and the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam and the first Shia Imam (this claim is however disputed and not accepted by other sects).
A message on the Aga Khan Development Authority’s Facebook page said, “Throughout their 1,400 year history, the Ismailis have been led by a living, hereditary Imam. The Ismailis live in over 35 countries and number approximately 12 to 15 million.”
Prince Karim had inherited his title of the 49th Imam of the Ismaili community in 1957 at the age of 20. He was born in Switzerland and he had British citizenship. The head of the Ismaili sect was also a friend of the late Queen Elizabeth II. Under his aegis, among other projects of the AKTC, Humayun’s tomb in Delhi is one that was fully restored and is widely appreciated for its work.
Similarly, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture has also restored the Qutb Shahi Tombs in Hyderabad, among other projects.
Prince Karim is survived by his children Princess Zahra, Prince Rahim, Prince Hussain and Prince Aly Muhammad, and four grandchildren. Last year during the formal inauguration ceremony of the Qutb Shahi Tombs in Hyderabad, Prince Rahim, now the 50th Imam of the Ismailis, was in attendance.
