His father Prince Karim Aga Khan IV will that was read and unsealed recently has brought forth appointing Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini as the 50th hereditary Imam among the Shia Ismaili Muslims. Such a declaration had been made through a statement that came from Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Wednesday.
With the passing of Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, who died on Tuesday at the age of 88 in Lisbon, there is a change of leadership. He was one of the most affluent men on earth and globally carried out philanthropic activities, he was significant in development projects all over the world.
Prince Rahim was born on October 12, 1971, to Prince Karim Aga Khan IV and Princess Salimah, née Sarah Croker Poole, a British former model. The couple, who together had three children, have been central figures in the Ismaili community.
He is engaged with the Aga Khan Development Network and a member of the boards of several AKDN agencies. His involvement includes much of the work of the Institute of Ismaili Studies, as well as the social governance institutions of the community, most particularly through serving as the chairman of AKDN’s Environment and Climate Committee.
The title Aga Khan was derived from two Turkish and Persian words meaning commanding chief. Direct descendants of Prophet Muhammad, by his cousin, son-in-law Ali, first Imam, and Fatima daughter of the prophet, the Aga Khan had a special bond with the Muslim world.
The Ismaili community comprises about 15 million people living in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.
