Prince Rahim Aga Khan V takes over as spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims

Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V has been named the 50^th hereditary (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims.

Aga Khan V was on Wednesday named the new leader following the unsealing of the Will of his late father, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, who died in Lisbon, Portugal aged 88.

Aga Khan IV was the founder and president of the Aga Khan Development Network, which employs 96,000 people and finances development programmes, particularly in Asia and Africa.

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Born in Geneva, the Aga Khan spent his childhood in Kenya and was appointed in Tanzania to succeed his grandfather in 1957.

His father was passed over in the line of succession after a tumultuous marriage to American actor Rita Hayworth.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V is a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima, and the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, the fourth Rightly Guided Caliph of Islam and the first Shia Imam.

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.

World leaders have paid tributes to the late Aga Khan IV terming him an extraordinary leader who dedicated his life to helping the vulnerable through his charitable work in healthcare and education.

President William Ruto said, “We are saddened by the passing of The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismaili Muslims. Our thoughts are with his family and the wider Ismaili community. Rest in peace.”

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the Aga Khan as "a symbol of peace, tolerance and compassion in our troubled world" following the religious leader's death.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau referred to Aga Khan as a longtime family friend and “an extraordinarily compassionate global leader.”

“He was passionate about Canada and will be deeply missed by people around the world, particularly the Ismaili community,” said Trudeau.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif eulogised him as a man of “vision, faith, and generosity.”