Rahim Al-Hussaini is named the new Aga Khan, spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Rahim Al-Hussaini was named Wednesday arsenic the caller Aga Khan, spiritual person of the world’s millions of Ismaili Muslims, pursuing the decease of his father.

The 53-year-old was designated arsenic the Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Ismaili Muslims, successful his father’s will. His begetter died Tuesday successful Portugal.

The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to beryllium a nonstop descendant of the Prophet Muhammad and is treated arsenic a caput of state.

The Aga Khan Development Network and the Ismaili spiritual assemblage announced earlier that His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV and 49th hereditary imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims, died surrounded by his family.

Prince Rahim is the eldest lad of the erstwhile Aga Khan. He was educated successful the U.S., having studied comparative lit astatine Brown University, and has served connected the boards of assorted agencies wrong the Aga Khan Development Network, the spiritual leader’s main philanthropic organization, according to a connection it released Wednesday.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan poses for a photograph league astatine the Palais Brongniart during the sixth variation of the Paris Peace Forum, connected November 10, 2023 successful Paris. Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini, lad of Prince Aga Khan IV who passed distant connected February 5, 2025 successful Lisbon, volition win his begetter arsenic the person of the Ismaili Muslims, the authorities of the Shiite Muslim radical announced connected February 5, 2025. (Photo by JOEL SAGET / AFP) (Photo by JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images)

The enactment deals chiefly with issues of wellness care, housing, acquisition and agrarian economical development. It says it works successful implicit 30 countries and has an yearly fund of astir $1 cardinal for nonprofit improvement activities.

The Aga Khan Development Network said Prince Rahim took a peculiar involvement successful its enactment to combat climate change and support the environment.

The precocious Aga Khan was fixed the rubric of “His Highness” by Queen Elizabeth successful July 1957, 2 weeks aft his grandfather, the Aga Khan III, unexpectedly made him heir to the family’s 1,300-year dynasty arsenic person of the Ismaili Muslim sect.

Over decades, the precocious Aga Khan evolved into a concern magnate and a philanthropist, moving betwixt the spiritual and the worldly with ease.

A defender of Islamic civilization and values, helium was wide regarded arsenic a builder of bridges betwixt Muslim societies and the West contempt — oregon possibly due to the fact that of — his reticence astir becoming progressive successful politics.

A web of hospitals bearing the Aga Khan’s sanction is scattered successful places wherever wellness attraction was lacking for the poorest, including Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, wherever helium spent tens of millions of dollars successful processing section economies.

Ismailis lived for galore generations successful Iran, Syria and South Asia earlier besides settling successful eastbound Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East, arsenic good arsenic Europe, North America and Australia much recently. They see it a work to donate up to 12.5% of their income to the Aga Khan arsenic steward.

Shenila Khoja-Moolji, an subordinate prof astatine Georgetown University who researches Muslim societies, said Ismailis crook to the Aga Khan successful matters of religion and regular life, and followers judge successful his “divinely-inspired knowledge” that allows him to construe the Quran.

Prince Rahim has 3 siblings, 2 brothers and 1 sister.