Rahim Al-Hussaini succeeds Aga Khan IV as leader of Ismaili Muslims

PRINCE Rahim Al-Hussaini has been appointed as the 50th hereditary Imam, or spiritual leader, of Ismaili Muslims following the unsealing of the will of his late father, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV.

The announcement was made by the Aga Khan Development Network on Wednesday.

Prince Karim Aga Khan IV passed away in Lisbon, the seat of the Ismaili Imamat, at the age of 88 on Tuesday. His funeral will take place in Portugal’s capital once arrangements are finalised, the Imamat said on its website.

The Ismaili Muslim community, a branch of Shi'ite Islam, has an estimated 15 million followers spread across Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, Europe, and North America.

Prince Rahim, born on 12 October 1971, is the eldest son of Aga Khan IV and his first wife, Princess Salimah, formerly known as Sarah Croker Poole, a British ex-model. He has a sister and a brother from the marriage.

Prince Rahim is married to Kendra Spears, a former American fashion model, and they have two sons.

He has served on the boards of multiple agencies within the Aga Khan Development Network and chairs its Environment and Climate Committee.

The AKDN website states, "Prince Rahim has been particularly concerned with the AKDN's drive to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change," and has focused on "addressing the needs of those living in the greatest poverty."

As Aga Khan, a title derived from Turkish and Persian words meaning "commanding chief," he is considered by Ismailis to be a direct descendant of Prophet Mohammad through the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali, the first Imam, and his wife Fatima, the Prophet’s daughter.

The title was first granted in the 1830s by the emperor of Persia to Karim’s great-great-grandfather, who had married the emperor’s daughter.

Founded in 1967, the AKDN operates international development agencies employing 80,000 people, focusing on building schools, hospitals, and providing electricity in some of the poorest regions of Africa and Asia.

Aga Khan IV combined his development work with private business ventures. In Uganda, he owned a pharmaceutical company, a bank, and a fishnet factory.

He also continued his family’s involvement in thoroughbred racing and breeding. His stables, with jockeys dressed in his emerald-green silk livery, achieved significant success at major international races.

(With inputs from agencies)