Rahim al-Hussaini, 53, has been named the new Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims, after the death of his father, the Ismaili community has announced.
The Aga Khan V, the 50th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, was designated in his father’s will “in accordance with historical Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim tradition and practice”, the community said on its website.
His father, Prince Karim al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV, known for his fabulous wealth and development work around the world, died on Tuesday in Lisbon at the age of 88.
The Aga Khan is considered by his followers to be a direct descendant of the prophet Muhammad and is treated as a head of state and accorded nearly divine status by the Ismaili community, whose website says it numbers 12 to 15 million people.
