FILE – The Aga Khan addresses an audience about the challenges to a pluralistic society Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, at the Memorial Church on the campus of Harvard University, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, the spiritual leader of the Nizari Ismaili Muslim community, has passed away at the age of 88 in Lisbon, Portugal. The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) announced his passing in a statement on Tuesday.
“His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, Aga Khan IV, 49th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims and direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), passed away peacefully in Lisbon on 4 February 2025, aged 88, surrounded by his family,” the statement read.
Born in Switzerland, Aga Khan IV held British citizenship and resided in a chateau in France. Over the decades, he emerged as a global business magnate and philanthropist, leading extensive humanitarian and development initiatives through the AKDN.
He assumed leadership of the Ismaili Muslim community in 1957 at the age of 20, following the passing of his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan III. His succession came as a surprise, as his grandfather had bypassed his father, Prince Aly Khan, in favor of him.
The AKDN stated that details regarding his designated successor would be announced in due course.
Comments