LISBON — Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V was named on Wednesday as the 50th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslim community, following the death of his father, Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, who passed away in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday at the age of 88.
According to the Aga Khan Development Network, 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, who was 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 organization said in a statement on X.
The Ismaili community, which follows a distinct branch of Shia Islam, is spread across more than 35 countries and is estimated to number between 12 million and 15 million.
