The Aga Khan, religious chief of Ismaili Muslims and a philanthropist, dies at 88 – The Gentleman Report | World | Business | Science | Technology | Health
Today: Jul 25, 2025

The Aga Khan, religious chief of Ismaili Muslims and a philanthropist, dies at 88

The Aga Khan, religious chief of Ismaili Muslims and a philanthropist, dies at 88
February 5, 2025



PARIS (AP) — The Aga Khan, who was the religious chief of the sector’s tens of millions of Ismaili Muslims at age 20 as a Harvard undergraduate and poured a subject material empire constructed on billions of greenbacks in tithes into development properties, hospitals and colleges in growing nations, died Tuesday. He was once 88.His Aga Khan Construction Community and the Ismaili non secular neighborhood introduced that His Highness Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, the Aga Khan IV and forty ninth hereditary imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, died in Portugal surrounded by way of his circle of relatives.His successor was once designated in his will, which will likely be learn within the presence of his circle of relatives and non secular leaders in Lisbon prior to the identify is made public. A date has no longer been introduced. The successor is selected from amongst his male progeny or different kin, in keeping with the Ismaili neighborhood’s web page.Thought to be by way of his fans to be an instantaneous descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV was once a pupil when his grandfather handed over his playboy father as his successor to steer the diaspora of Shia Ismaili Muslims, pronouncing his fans will have to be led by way of a tender guy “who has been introduced up in the middle of the brand new age.”

Over many years, the Aga Khan advanced right into a trade wealthy person and a philanthropist, transferring between the religious and the worldly conveniently.

Whilst his loss of life was once introduced overdue within the day in Europe and the Center East, ceremonies have been already being held Tuesday in Ismaili communities within the U.S. Condolences poured in on-line from charity teams he supported, in addition to the equestrian international, the place he was once a well known determine.

“A very compassionate international chief,” Canadian Top Minister Justin Trudeau stated Tuesday, calling him an excellent good friend. “He’ll be deeply, deeply overlooked by way of other people all over the world.”Handled as a head of state, the Aga Khan was once given the identify of “His Highness” by way of Queen Elizabeth in July 1957, two weeks after his grandfather the Aga Khan III abruptly made him inheritor to the circle of relatives’s 1,300-year dynasty as chief of the Ismaili Muslim sect.

He was the Aga Khan IV on Oct. 19, 1957, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, at the spot the place his grandfather as soon as had his weight equaled in diamonds in presents from his fans.He had left Harvard to be at his sick grandfather’s facet, and returned to university 18 months later with an entourage and a deep sense of duty.“I used to be an undergraduate who knew what his paintings for the remainder of his existence was once going to be,” he stated in a 2012 interview with Vainness Truthful mag. “I don’t assume somebody in my scenario would were ready.”A defender of Islamic tradition and values, he was once broadly thought to be a builder of bridges between Muslim societies and the West in spite of — or most likely on account of — his reticence to develop into keen on politics.The Aga Khan Construction Community, his major philanthropic group, offers principally with problems with well being care, housing, training and rural financial building. It says it really works in over 30 nations and has an annual funds of about $1 billion for nonprofit building actions.

A community of hospitals bearing his identify are scattered in puts the place well being care had lacked for the poorest, together with Bangladesh, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, the place he spent tens of tens of millions of greenbacks for building of native economies.The level of the Aga Khan’s monetary empire is difficult to measure. Some reviews estimated his non-public wealth to be within the billions.The Ismailis — a sect at first targeted in India however which expanded to huge communities in east Africa, Central and South Asia and the Center East — believe it an obligation to tithe as much as 12.5% in their source of revenue to him as steward.“We don’t have any perception of the buildup of wealth being evil,” he informed Vainness Truthful in 2012. “The Islamic ethic is if God has given you the capability or just right fortune to be a privileged particular person in society, you’ve got an ethical duty to society.”The Ismaili neighborhood’s web page stated he was once born on Dec. 13, 1936, in Creux-de-Genthod, close to Geneva, Switzerland, the son of Joan Yarde-Buller and Aly Khan, and spent a part of his formative years in Nairobi, Kenya — the place a health center now bears his identify.

He was well known as a horse breeder and proprietor, and he represented Iran within the 1964 Wintry weather Olympics as a skier. His eye for development and design led him to determine an structure prize, and methods for Islamic Structure at MIT and Harvard. He restored historical Islamic constructions all the way through the sector.The Aga Khan lived at period in France and were based totally in Portugal for the previous a number of years. His building community and basis are based totally in Switzerland.The Aga Khan will likely be buried in Lisbon. The date was once no longer launched.He’s survived by way of 3 sons and a daughter and several other grandchildren.

OpenAI
Author: OpenAI

Don't Miss

Faculty roof cave in in western India kills 7 youngsters and injures no less than 21

Faculty roof cave in in western India kills 7 youngsters and injures no less than 21

A central authority college development’s roof collapsed in Rajasthan, India, killing seven
Fires engulf Turkey’s Mediterranean coast as govt pronounces 2 crisis zones

Fires engulf Turkey’s Mediterranean coast as govt pronounces 2 crisis zones

ISTANBUL (AP) — New wildfires broke out on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast Friday,