An-Najm (The Star) 53:39-42: That man can have nothing but what he strives for; That (the fruit of) his striving will soon come in sight:- Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete; That to thy Lord is the final Goal; (Y. Ali)
On Jan. 17, 1942, Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. emerged on the world scene as the son of Cassius and Odessa “Birdie” Clay. Over the next 74 years and 5 months, this newborn babe would grow to be known as “The Greatest of All Time.” Allah has revealed that human beings are created to grow stage by stage. However, with the life of Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., who evolved to become Muhammad Ali, his stages of challenging developments were witnessed by humanity around the globe. Ali’s ability to time and again champion life’s many challenges made him a model of success for downtrodden people around the world.
Greatness is not best measured by a person’s achievements, but by how those achievements improve the lives of other people. Ali’s personal achievements made him “great” only because his personal successes always extended to become achievements in the hearts and souls of others. His achievements transcended racial, gender, ethnic and nationalistic lines and barriers. His greatness was always shared with others. That is why Ali is the quintessential champion, the people’s champion, the champion of champions.
After winning a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics, Clay became the world’s Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1964, defeating the seemingly unbeatable Charles “Sonny” Liston. A 22-year-old Ali exclaimed to the astonishment of the boxing realm, “I shook up the world!”
The Holy Qur’an teaches, “When you are free from one task, immediately seek another.” For the rest of Ali’s life, a succession of struggles came his way.
The next challenge Ali had to champion was for his religious belief and stance. Many white Americans did not like him associating with Minister Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. Many Americans rejected Clay denouncing his birth name as a “slave name” in exchange for accepting the Islamic “holy name” of Muhammad Ali from the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.
Not enough is said about the positive and immeasurable contributions of Mr. Elijah Muhammad upon the life of Muhammad Ali. In a December 2001 Reader’s Digest interview conducted by Howard Bingham, Ali readily revealed his continued admiration for Elijah Muhammad. Bingham asked Ali, “Now, after you were older, who influenced your life and the beliefs that you have?” Ali replied, “After I started boxing, Sugar Ray Robinson. And my idol was a man named Elijah Muhammad. (His) Islamic teaching is what made me so confident.”
Ali remained faithful to the Nation of Islam until 1975, when Elijah Muhammad died. Ali then followed Muhammad’s son, Wallace Deen, into a universal practice of Islam.
Whether he was fighting in the boxing ring or in the public arena, Ali continued to strive against great odds, speaking boldly as he championed his life challenges. Even his enemies — after observing that Ali was much more than a braggadocious young fighter — began to admire him.
The young folks loved Ali. Those who were downtrodden loved Ali. But in some sectors of society, his list of enemies grew, especially when he refused to be drafted into the Vietnam War, declaring he was a conscientious objector.
When Ali refused to be drafted, he was stripped of his heavyweight boxing title and faced the possibility of prison time. Nonetheless, he stood strong as a man of faith and principle who disbelieved in killing. After struggling for three years, he finally regained his boxing license. Eventually, his claim to be a conscientious objector was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1972.
From 1970 through 1975, Ali was front and center in some of the world’s best boxing battles in history. His fights with Ken Norton, Smokin’ Joe Frazier and the big, bad, seemingly unbeatable George Foreman will be mentioned by boxing enthusiasts for decades, maybe centuries. Many people would agree: Ali stands head and shoulders over these noble boxers as the GOAT, the “Greatest of All Time.” Ali’s next foe — Parkinson’s disease — would prove to be an even bigger challenge.
Diagnosed in 1984, Ali was entering what would be a 32-year battle with Parkinson’s before his passing on June 3, 2016. Parkinson’s disease affects the motor skills, but still, Ali refused to give in to this formidable challenge, as witnessed on July 19, 1996, when he lit the Olympic torch in Atlanta. Ali maintained a vigorous schedule traveling and lending his name and face to many charitable causes around the world, even speaking against terrorism. It is reported that his wife Lonnie said, “Even though Muhammad has Parkinson’s and his speech isn’t what it used to be, he can speak to people with his eyes. He can speak to people with his heart, and they connect with him.”
Again, the world rejoiced as Ali lit the Olympic torch. With tears of admiration flowing from the eyes of millions of fans, the world once again witnessed this quintessential champion bringing pride and confidence to people around the world. His lighting of the Olympic torch also lit the heart and soul of humanity.
Ali’s greatness may have begun in the boxing ring, but that was only his place of preparation for world greatness. Throughout his life, Ali continued to receive numerous awards, including the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom in November of 2005.
Ali was a man who lived his faith for all to see on a world stage. He publicly lived the words of the Qur’an, his holy book, which reads, “That man can have nothing but what he strives for; That (the fruit of) his striving will soon come in sight:- Then will he be rewarded with a reward complete; That to thy Lord is the final Goal.”
Michael Saahir is the imam at Nur-Allah Islamic Center. He can be reached at nur-allah@att.net.
