Prince Karim al-Hussaini, known as Aga Khan IV, died on 4 February, leaving behind millions of Nizarite Ismailis who will now be guided by his son Rahim Al-Hussaini. Considered a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed, he was more than just a spiritual leader for this branch of the Muslim religion. Between his inheritance of a colossal fortune and his philanthropic activities, the British and Portuguese citizen’s activities were numerous.
‘His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th Hereditary Imam of the Shiite Ismaili Muslims and a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), died peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family,’ said his foundation, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), on X.
The spiritual leader of the Ismailis, a spiritual branch of Islam
Born in Geneva in 1936 to Prince Ali Khan and British aristocrat and socialite Joan Yarde-Buller, Karim al-Hussaini was studying at Harvard when he was appointed to the Nizarite Ismaili imamate in 1957, the year his grandfather Mahomed Shah died. His father was excluded from the succession after a tumultuous marriage to the American actress Rita Hayworth.
As the 49th imam of the Nizarite Ismaili community (a group of Shiite Muslims) and the 49th descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, he guided the 12 to 15 million followers around the world, particularly in Central and South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Portugal was the base for his community from 2015 and will therefore be the venue for his funeral.
Islam is not a faith ‘of conflict or social disorder, it is a religion of peace’, he told AFP in an interview in 2017. His aim was to engage in dialogue for a more open Islam and to build bridges between different faiths and cultures so that everyone could live in peace and mutual respect.
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Featured photo : Karim al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV © Réseau Aga Khan de développement
