The second-largest Shiʿa community in the world, the IsmailisAdherents of a branch of Shi’i Islam that considers Ismail, the eldest son of the Shi’i Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (d. 765), as his successor. are settled in over 35 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, North America and Australia.
Like the ummahCommunity; people who are followers of a particular religion or prophet. It refers in particular to the Muslims as a religious community. More (global Muslim community) as a whole, the Ismailis represent a rich diversity of cultures, languages and nationalities. Ismaili traditions fall within four broad geographic and ethnographic groups: Arab, Persian, Central Asian, and South Asian. Settlements in Africa comprise primarily Ismailis of South Asian origins, while recent settlements in the West come from all these traditions.
Espousing an esoteric, spiritual vision of Islam, the Ismailis are led by a hereditary Imam (spiritual leader), whose role and responsibility it is to interpret the faith for the community and to improve the quality and security of their daily lives.
His Highness the Aga Khan is the present and 49th Imam of the Ismailis.
Over the course of their history and under the guidance of their Imams, the Ismailis have constituted a formidable religious and intellectual force, making significant contributions to Islamic thought and cultures.
