Aga Khan passes away at 88

The 49th hereditary imam of the Shia Ismailis, Prince Karim Al-Hussaini, famously known as Aga Khan, "passed away peacefully" on February 5, in Lisbon, Portugal, his official charity page on X (formerly Twitter), posted.

He was 88 years of age.

He built his legacy by becoming a billionaire philanthropist and humanitarian who provided great support to people around the world.

Under The Aga Khan Development Network, he built homes, hospitals, and schools in developing countries and worked on rural economic development.

A large network of hospitals and laboratories has been built all across countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan, providing health care to those who can not afford it.

Similarly, his projects involve providing scholarships to students from underprivileged backgrounds. Tens of millions of dollars have also been spent on the development of local economies.

Prince Aga Karim was only a college student when he was given the responsibility to lead his people.

His grandfather decided to pass over his son, who was known to be a playboy, and chose Prince Aga Karim as the leader of the community at the young age of only 20, becoming the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims around the world.

“I was an undergraduate who knew what his work for the rest of his life was going to be,” he said in a 2012 interview with Vanity Fair magazine. “I don’t think anyone in my situation would have been prepared.”

He had a passion for architecture and design, which inspired him to create an architecture prize and establish Islamic Architecture programs at MIT and Harvard. He also worked on restoring historic Islamic buildings worldwide.

His death was announced by the Aga Khan Foundation, and the Ismaili religious community announced it on their websites.

The announcement of his successor is expected to come out soon.

Condolences from around the world have poured in. Prince Charles considered Prince Karim Aga Khan 'a personal friend of many years,' and he is 'deeply saddened' by the news of his death.

Aga Khan was also a close friend of Queen Elizabeth II, both of whom were avid horse racing enthusiasts, and the two had attended a number of Royal Ascot together.

The late Queen invited Aga Khan for a dinner at Buckingham Palace in 2008. He was considered to be highly regarded by the British monarchy.

Aga Khan was also granted the title of 'His Highness' by Queen Elizabeth in July 1957.