Mumbai: Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV, the head of the Shia Ismaili community, who died in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, aged 88, is remembered by his followers in Mumbai as a visionary leader and institution-builder.

The Ismailis live in over 35 countries and number approximately 12 to 15 million. There are estimated to be a few thousand in Mumbai and the community has its jamatkhanas or mosques across the city.

Ismailis in Mumbai said they are saddened by the passing away of a leader who led them for nearly seven decades. However, with a new leader taking over, there is also a sense of optimism.

"Many of us in the community have mixed feelings. While we feel sad about the passing away of someone we loved so dearly, we are also ready to celebrate our Imam of the time, Shah Rahim al-Husseini, Aga Khan V," said Ashish Merchant who served as the vice chairman of the Aga Khan Foundation in India for eight years.

Ismailis in Mumbai said that many of them had the opportunity to serve within the Aga Khan's institutions which represent a strong legacy and are a lasting reminder of his values. "The sentiment in the community is that the late Aga Khan was a visionary leader. There is hope and optimism with the new Imam taking over," said Sophia Premjee, communications coordinator for the Ismaili Council for India.

Prince Karim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV became the 49th Imam of the community at the age of 20 years. Under his leadership, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) expanded the scope and vision of its activities significantly, covering areas such as education, health, rural development, architecture, culture, and music.

The projects have the strong support of his son and successor, Prince Rahim al-Husseini, Aga Khan V who visited India in July 2024, for the opening of two projects by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture – the Humayun’s Tomb site museum in Delhi and the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park in Hyderabad. His Highness the Aga Khan has woven a tapestry of compassion across India, transforming millions of lives through an extraordinary commitment to human dignity.

After the first Aga Khan School was established in Gujarat in 1905, the AKDN has touched the lives of the most marginalised communities, Ismailis in Mumbai said, adding that they are confident that the Indian projects will continue.

"What will not change is the primary ethos of our community - our obligation to serve and give back to the communities among whom we live - either in terms of volunteering our time, our knowledge, or material means to strengthen civil society institutions," said Merchant.

The announcement of Prince Rahim Al-Hussaini Aga Khan V as the 50th hereditary Imam or spiritual leader of the Shia Ismaili Muslims was announced on Wednesday by the Diwan of the Ismailis Imamat, the office of the Aga Khan. The office announced the unsealing of his father's will naming his successor.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan was born on October 12, 1971, as the eldest son of the late Prince Karim Aga Khan and his first wife, Princess Salimah.

The Aga Khans are direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter, Hazrat Bibi Fatima, and the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law, Hazrat Ali, the fourth Caliph of Islam and the first Shia Imam. Throughout their 1,400-year history, the Ismailis have been led by a living, hereditary Imam.

Prince Rahim Aga Khan V was educated at Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, and graduated in 1995 from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature. He has two sons from his former wife, Princess Salwa, Prince Irfan and Prince Sinan.

He serves on the boards of the Aga Khan Development Network's agencies and closely followed the work of The Institute of Ismaili Studies and the Ismaili community’s social governance institutions.

He 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, the Ismaili community said in a statement. The funeral of the late Aga Khan is expected to take place during the weekend in Lisbon.