Prince Rahim al-Hussaini Aga Khan has been named the 50th hereditary Imam of the Ismaili Muslim community, following the passing of Mawlana Shah Karim Aga Khan IV, according to the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) on social media.
The succession follows the death of his father Prince Karim Al-Husseini, Aga Khan IV in Lisbon at the age of 88 on Tuesday.
“Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V was today named the 50th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, following the unsealing of the Will of his late father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon, Portugal yesterday, aged 88,” the statement 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,” it added.
Who is Rahim Aga Khan V?
Born on Oct. 12, 1971, Prince Rahim is the eldest son of the late Aga Khan IV and his first wife, Princess Salimah — née Sarah Croker Poole — a British ex-model. The couple had a daughter and two sons together.
Prince Rahim serves on the boards of many agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and has closely followed the work of the Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Ismaili community’s social governance institutions, serving as chairman of the AKDN’s Environment and Climate Committee.
The world’s Ismaili community comprises around 15 million members who live in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.
