Prince Rahim Aga Khan V Named 50th Hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims
Pursuant to the passing of His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan and the unsealing of his Last Will and Testament, his eldest son, Prince Rahim al-Hussaini was today named the 50th hereditary Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. In the historical tradition of Shia Ismailis, succession to Imamat is by way of nass (designation), it being the absolute prerogative of the Imam-of-the-Time to appoint his successor from amongst any of his male descendants.
Born on 12 October 1971, Prince Rahim is the eldest son of the late Prince Karim Aga Khan and his first wife, Princess Salimah. He was educated at Phillips Academy Andover and graduated in 1995 from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature.
Prince Rahim has two sons from his former wife, Princess Salwa: Prince Irfan (b. 2015) and Prince Sinan (b. 2017). He serves on the boards of many agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and has closely followed the work of The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Ismaili community’s social governance institutions.
Prince Rahim has been particularly concerned with the AKDN’s drive to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change, serving as Chairman of its Environment and Climate Committee. He has also given sustained attention to the work of AKDN and the Ismaili community institutions in addressing the needs of those living in the greatest poverty and supporting the improvement of their livelihoods through education, training and enterprise.
Prince Rahim meets regularly with leaders of government, international organisations, and civil society to strengthen their relations with the Ismaili Imamat and to advance the AKDN’s efforts to improve the lives of marginalised and vulnerable communities.