Diwan of Ismaili Imamat announces peaceful passing; Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini appointed as Aga Khan V
LISBON – Feb 4 (RAHNUMA) His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and Founder and Chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), has passed away at the age of 88. The Diwan of the Ismaili Imamat confirmed that he died peacefully in Lisbon, surrounded by his family.
A direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) through Hazrat Bibi Fatima and Hazrat Ali, the Aga Khan IV was born to Prince Aly Khan and Joan Yarde-Buller. He succeeded his grandfather, Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III, as Imam in 1957.
Throughout his six-decade-long leadership, Aga Khan IV emphasized Islam as a faith of intellect, compassion, and human dignity. He dedicated his life to humanitarian and development work, transcending religious and ethnic boundaries. Under his stewardship, the AKDN grew into one of the world’s largest private international development organizations, significantly improving healthcare, education, and economic opportunities across multiple continents.
Respected as a statesman and a champion of pluralism, the Aga Khan IV’s legacy will endure through his philanthropic and development initiatives, particularly in education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation.
Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Appointed as the New Aga Khan
Following the reading of Aga Khan IV’s will, Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini, his eldest son, has been appointed as the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. The official announcement marks the continuation of leadership within the Ismaili community, ensuring the preservation of its spiritual and developmental mission.
Prince Rahim has been actively involved in the Aga Khan Development Network and has played a key role in its economic and environmental initiatives. His appointment signifies a new chapter for the Ismaili Imamat as he takes on the responsibility of leading the global Ismaili community.
Hyderabad’s Historical Connection
Hyderabad has a unique historical connection to the Aga Khan lineage. Safia Ali Akbar, daughter of the late Syed Ali Akbar—first principal of Anwar ul-Uloom College—was a direct relative of Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III. Safia Ali Akbar’s grandmother and Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III’s grandmother were biological sisters, linking Hyderabad’s aristocracy to the lineage of the Ismaili Imamat.
Safia Ali Akbar’s father, Syed Ali Akbar, was the son of Captain Syed Mohammed, Commander of the Paigah Army in Hyderabad State, and brother of Olympic tennis player Syed Mohammed Hadi. He was referenced in notable literary works such as Locating Home: India’s Hyderabadis Abroad by Karen Isaksen Leonard and A Passage to India by E.M. Forster, a novel that remains one of the most celebrated works of English literature.
Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III was succeeded by his grandson, His Highness Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the head of the Nizari Ismaili lineage, heirs to the legacy of the Fatimite Caliphs of Egypt.
Reflections on His Legacy
Reflecting on the passing of Aga Khan IV, Imam ul-Mulk IV Syed Ahmed Khan, grandson of Safia Ali Akbar, remarked:
“Like our VIII Nizam, His Highness Aga Khan IV was only a student when he took over responsibility from his grandfather. Both did not have a throne or country of their own, and both inherited the Caliphal Crowns from their grandfathers—Aga Khan VII, the Caliphal Crown of Egypt’s Nizari line of Fatimite Caliphs, and Prince Mukarram Jah, the Caliphal Crown of his maternal grandfather His Majesty Caliph Abdulmejid II, the last Turkish Caliph, passed to them from the Abbasids. Both were educated abroad in the world’s best universities, and both had numerous failed marriages and faced intense slanderous campaigns. I wish Asaf Jah VIII had a friend and guide in His Highness Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, who elevated his community—so the plight of Hyderabad’s erstwhile Royal family could have been totally different.”
