Faithful Connections: Remembering Aga Khan IV
Aga Khan IV was the hereditary spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims who will be immensely missed by millions. His legacy lives on in his humanitarian work and the lives he has touched around the world through the Aga Khan Development Network.
Pictured: His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV from https://media.ismaili.imamat/photographs/global/1?locale=en
The Interfaith Atlanta community expresses our sincerest condolences to the Shia Ismaili Muslim community on the death of their Imam, or spiritual leader, Aga Khan IV. His legacy lives on in all the good he has done in the world, and his presence will be deeply missed. We would also like to express our joy at the accession of the 50th hereditary Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, as the community continues in this long-standing tradition of spiritual guidance and service to humanity.
On February 4th, 2025, the world lost His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV at the age of 88. He continued his family’s legacy and 1,400-year lineage as direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, serving as the 49th Imam (spiritual leader) of the millions of Shia Ismaili Muslims throughout the world. While Aga Khan IV enjoyed the finer things in life, especially skiing or watching horse races, he will be remembered most for his humanitarian work and all the good that it brought into the world. He strongly believed that in Islam, spiritual and material aspects of life are closely connected. Therefore, he saw it as his duty not only to nurture the spiritual well-being of his followers but also to ensure their quality of life and the well-being of those around them.
Aga Khan IV founded the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) with the intention of improving health care, housing, education, rural economic development and more as he used his resources to leave the world better than he found it. According to their website, the AKDN is active in over 30 countries, leading to the establishment of 200+ schools and 700+ health facilities, with an annual budget of $1 billion. Aga Khan IV cared especially for the most vulnerable of populations as he focused his humanitarian work on the areas of Asia and Africa that needed it the most. He did not believe that prosperity and economic thriving should be only for a few, working to help populations around the world achieve a position of economic comfort and stability.
He will also be remembered as a vital champion of pluralism, reaching across boundaries to build bridges in the hopes of building a peaceful society. During his life, he worked alongside leaders from around the world, at times serving in an advisory role but also always ensuring that he continued to advocate for the safety of Ismaili Muslims and communities at large. He believed that the many world religions had so much they shared as he looked to construct a world where everyone and each religious community would feel safe to practice their religion and have the freedom to make their own choices in their lives. In fact, according to the AKDN website, in collaboration with the Government of Canada, Aga Khan IV founded the Global Centre for Pluralism in 2006, working with everyone from policy leaders to community builders to promote tolerance and peace between world religions. So much more can be said about the immense impact of this leader who will be greatly missed, so please make sure to check out the links below to learn more about Aga Khav IV’s life and legacy.
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