honoring His Highness The Aga Khan IV: a legacy of service, balance & unity

i’ve been sitting with this for a while. trying to find the right words.

how do you put into words the impact of a man who shaped not just my life, but the lives of millions?

His Highness The Aga Khan IV wasn’t just a spiritual leader. he was an architect of opportunity, a builder of bridges, a champion of human dignity.

for me, he wasn’t just a figure i read about—his work was the backdrop of my entire life.

the hospital i was born in. the schools i attended. the values i live by.

all of it, in some way, traces back to his vision.

and as we mourn his passing, i want to do something more than just grieve—i want to reflect, honor, and share his lessons that i believe the world needs now more than ever.

this isn’t just for those who knew him. this is for anyone who cares about impact, leadership, and living a life of purpose.

let’s talk about what made him truly remarkable.

1. the measure of a life: improving the quality of life for others

i grew up hearing a phrase over and over:

"work no words."

it was the motto of the ismaili volunteer corps, where i spent years serving my community. and it was the essence of his highness’s life.

he didn’t just talk about making the world better—he did it.

he created the Aga Khan Development Network , one of the largest private development organizations in the world. and unlike many global charities, his work wasn’t just about short-term aid.

it was about sustainable change.

???? healthcare: over 5 million people receive healthcare every year through aga khan hospitals and clinics.

?? education: over 2 million students educated, from early childhood to world-class universities.

?? infrastructure: he brought electricity to over 10 million people in regions where the lights had never been turned on before.

?? culture: he preserved heritage sites, restored historic landmarks, and built bridges between the past and the future.

and here’s the thing—he never saw this as charity.

he saw it as duty.

"the imam-of-the-time also has a responsibility for improving the quality of life… for his people, and for the people among whom the ismailis live."

that sense of responsibility has shaped everything i do.

it’s why service is at the core of my work.

it’s why i believe success means nothing unless it’s lifting others up too.

2. balancing faith & the world: din and duniya

one of my strongest memories of His Highness was during a deedar—a spiritual gathering where he addressed our community.

he stood before us, and in his gentle, yet commanding voice, he said:

"work hard. but also, play hard."

it made the entire room chuckle, but it was also profound.

because he lived that balance.

he was a harvard-educated leader, a global diplomat, an entrepreneur, and an olympic-level skier. but he was also a deeply spiritual man, who saw islam not as something separate from daily life, but as a guide to how we live, work, and serve.

"Islam does not admit that man's spiritual needs should be isolated from his material daily activities. A Muslim must play an active role in his community, and his faith should be reflected in his daily life.

this wasn’t just a belief—it was a way of life.

and it’s one i’ve tried to embody too.

for me, faith isn’t just about prayer.

it’s in the small acts of kindness. it’s in the integrity with which i work. it’s in the responsibility i feel to leave the world better than i found it.

that balance—between spiritual and material, between ambition and ethics—is what he modeled for us all.

3. striving for excellence: the standard he set for us

when i walked through the halls of my Aga Khan Academies Aga Khan Academy Mombasa , there was one phrase i saw every day:

“centre of excellence.”

it wasn’t just a slogan.

it was a mindset.

his highness believed that excellence wasn’t a privilege—it was a duty.

"the well-led society of the future will be a meritocracy—where leadership roles are based on personal and intellectual excellence."

that belief shaped how i saw education.

i wasn’t just going to school—I was preparing to serve, to lead, to make an impact.

and that mindset?

it’s something i still carry with me today.

if you’re going to do something, do it exceptionally well.

not for titles. not for recognition.

but because that’s the standard we owe ourselves and those around us.

4. pluralism & building bridges

in a world that feels more divided than ever, his highness spent his life showing us that differences weren’t a threat—they were an opportunity.

"genuine pluralism understands that diversity does not weaken a society, it strengthens it."

"Connection does not necessarily mean agreement. It does not mean that we want to eliminate our differences or erase our distinctions. Far from it. What it does mean, is that we connect with one another in order to learn from one another and to build our future together."

"A pluralist, cosmopolitan society is a society which not only accepts difference, but actively seeks to understand it and to learn from it. In this perspective, diversity is not a burden to be endured, but an opportunity to be welcomed."

he built universities that welcomed students of all faiths. he built hospitals that served anyone in need, regardless of background. he built diplomatic relationships that transcended politics, ethnicity, and borders.

he understood something we need to remember now more than ever:

we don’t have to agree to build together.

we don’t have to erase our differences.

we just have to see the humanity in each other.

5. one jamat

growing up, one of the first lessons i learned was this:

we are one jamat.

it didn’t matter where you were from, what language you spoke, or what traditions you carried—we were one.

and his highness lived that principle.

he reminded us that beyond just our ismaili community, we are all part of something bigger—one humanity.

"Central to my life has been a verse in the Holy Quran which addresses itself to the whole of humanity. It says: 'Oh Mankind, fear your Lord, who created you of a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them scattered abroad many men and women…' I know of no more beautiful expression about the unity of our human race — born indeed from a single soul."

he spent his life uniting people across borders, cultures, and faiths. he didn’t just build schools—he built institutions that welcomed everyone. he didn’t just fund hospitals—he ensured they served anyone in need, regardless of their background.

in a time when the world feels more divided than ever, his vision of oneness is something we need to hold onto.

because at the end of the day, we are stronger together.

mourning, but also moving forward

as we mourn, we also welcome a new chapter.

with his passing, we now welcome Prince Rahim Aga Khan V, our 50th imam.

his highness built a legacy that wasn’t just about the past—it was always about the future.

and now, it is on us to carry it forward.

every hospital built, every school opened, every life improved—that work continues.

and if we truly want to honor him, we don’t do it by mourning.

we do it by living his values.

by improving the quality of life for others. by balancing our faith with our work. by striving for excellence in all we do. by seeing differences as strength. by building bridges where others build walls.

that is how his impact continues.

and that is how we keep his spirit alive.

rest in peace, mawla.

thank you for everything.

with love and gratitude,

ziyaan