At a press conference the next morning, Clay, who had been seen around Miami with controversial Nation of Islam member Malcolm X (1925-1965), confirmed the rumors of his conversion to Islam. When Sonji met Muhammad Ali, he had not yet converted to Muslim and took the boxer's surname. Ali considered his Christian upbringing empty and sought out a new spiritual home, which he found in the Nation of Islam. Ali raised funds for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1999 Ali was voted the BBCs Sporting Personality of the Century, and Sports Illustrated named him Sportsman of the Century. Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a 2005 White House ceremony, and in the same year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on peace and social responsibility, opened in Louisville. It did something to me. Magazines, Or create a free account to access more articles, Exclusive: The Real Reason Muhammad Ali Converted to Islam. Clay's father's paternal grandparents were John Clay and Sallie Anne Clay; Clay's sister Eva claimed that Sallie was a native of Madagascar. Ali lived the final decade of his live in the Phoenix suburb of Paradise Valley, Arizona. Updates? Born in Louisville as Cassius Marcellus Clay, he announced his conversion to Islam in 1964 and changed his name to Muhammad Ali (some older residents of the city never quite accepted it).. Its unbelievable. He soon turned professional with the backing of the Louisville Sponsoring Group and continued overwhelming all opponents in the ring. Seven months later Ali regained the championship with a 15-round victory over Spinks. Clay infuriated devotees of the sport as much as he impressed them. All Rights Reserved. Muhammad indicated that when the end came for him, he wanted us to use his life and his death as a teaching moment for young people, for his country, and for the world, Lonnie said. His birth name was Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. At an early age, young Clay showed that he wasnt afraid of any boutinside or outside of the ring. Meet Muhammad Ali's Parents- his mom (Odessa Grady Clay) and his dad (Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr) Growing-Up Years: . [13], In interviews for his 1991 biography Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, and his 1998 biography King of the World, Ali clarified that he no longer believed in the existence of the space platform or in Yakub anymore. asheda Ali was born in 1970 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, to the prominent professional boxer, Muhammad Ali, and his second wife, Belinda Boyd, also known as Khalilah Camacho Ali. [15] In an interview for his 1991 biography Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, Ali commented: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, [Wallace] learnt from his studies that his father wasn't teaching true Islam, and Wallace taught us the true meaning of the Quran. On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the name of Muhammad Ali. "[6] According to Dennis and Atyeo: Malcolm X firmly implanted in Ali's mind the belief that he was invincible which must have been of enormous psychological advantage to a young fighter facing the awesome Sonny Liston. Jones described the platform as "a bright light darting in the sky." Muhammad Alis Religion: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. The bout (which Ali referred to as the Rumble in the Jungle) took place in the unlikely location of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). According to these teachings, which Ali said he believed in, there exists a space platform operated by "men who never smile" which orbits the earth at the speed of 18,000 miles per hour. Then, on March 8, 1971, he challenged Joe Frazier, who had become heavyweight champion during Alis absence from the ring. The three-day event, which took place in Alis hometown of Louisville, included an I Am Ali public arts festival, entertainment and educational offerings sponsored by the city, an Islamic prayer program, and a memorial service. Muhammad Jr. has a wife named Shaakira and they are both parents to Amerra and Shakira. Many fans wanted to build a museum to acknowledge my achievements. Malcolm X even assigned an associate to help manage Clays day-to-day affairs. The next morning, on February 26, Clay announced his affiliation with the Nation of Islam. [14][15] According to Ali, "hearts and souls have no color", and it was wrong of Elijah Muhammad to have talked of "white devils". Cassius Marcellus Clay (November 11, 1912 - February 8, 1990) was an American painter and musician. In 1984, Ali announced that he had Parkinsons disease, a degenerative neurological condition. Among our ranks are book authors and award-winning journalists. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Did you know? Almost all figures in this mythology are exact, notes Plimpton. Following the success of his three-part series Hemingway in spring 2021, Emmy-winning documentarian Ken Burns, 68, returns with a new show about an equally compelling and complicated 20th-century man: Muhammad Ali. But youre not bigger than Allah. It was a blessing to be a part of that journey.. His health and his spirituality have changed, and its not so much about being religious, but about going out and making people happy, doing charity, and supporting people and causes. He won the rematch six months later in a split decision and gained further revenge in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. Source: Pinterest. This refusal followed a blunt statement voiced by Ali 14 months earlier: I aint got no quarrel with them Vietcong. Many Americans vehemently condemned Alis stand, though one of Alis earliest defenders was famed sports broadcasterHoward Cosell,who had covered and praised the fighter since the beginning of his career as Cassius Clay. And the cartoon was about the first slaves that arrived in America, and the cartoon was showing how the black slaves were slipping off at the plantation to pray in the Arabic language facing the east. His family was one of Makkah's most prominent families and belonged to the Quraysh tribe's Banu Hashim clan. But I've changed what I believe, and what I believe in now is true Islam. She was also known as Sonji Clay. But perhaps more important, he had courage and all the other intangibles that go into making a great fighter. According to the 1967 book, Black Is Best: The Riddle of Cassius Clay, by former Sports Illustrated writer Jack Olsen, Ali said his first encounter came from a street corner proselytizer in Harlem. Frank Sinatra had to work his ass off to watch Ali's comeback fight The next year, his conviction was vacated by the Supreme Court. At first, he called himself Cassius X before settling on the name Muhammad Ali. Islam does not promote terrorism or the killing of peopleIf the culprits are Muslim, they have twisted the teachings of Islam. Ali married his first wife, Sonji Roi, in 1964. Ali recovered quickly, but the judges awarded the decision to Frazier, handing Ali his first professional loss after 31 wins. (Getty). Muhammad Ali's Conversion to Islam Changed the World FYI. I cannot be beaten! Muhammad Alis public conversion to Islam, in 1964, was among the most defining moments of his remarkable life. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. Clay often daydreamed in class and shadowboxed in the hallshe was training for the 1960 Olympics at the timeand his grades were so bad that some of his teachers wanted to hold him back from graduation. Her father is an East Indian Muslim while her mother is a Panamanian Catholic who is of Afro-Trinidadian . .css-m6thd4{-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.125rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:bold;color:#323232;text-transform:capitalize;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-m6thd4:hover{color:link-hover;}}10 Things You Might Not Know About Jimmy Butler, Celebrities & Notables Running the Boston Marathon, 7 Facts About Gymnast and TikTok Star Olivia Dunne, Nat Sweetwater Cliftons First NBA Season, 8 Negro League Legends Featured in a New MLB Game, Get to Know NCAA Tournament Star Caitlin Clark, 10 Things You Might Not Know About Shohei Ohtani. Ali has Irish roots. Elijah Muhammad speaks during Saviour's Day celebrations, while Muhammad Ali listens (center, fore), at the International Ampitheatre, Chicago, IL, on Feb. 27, 1966. For once, Ali was seen as the underdog to the younger, massive Foreman, but he silenced his critics with a masterful performance. Muhammad Ali has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated 38 times, second only to basketball great Michael Jordan. In 2021, he signed a deal with legendary Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who promoted 27 of Muhammad Alis bouts. Alis place in boxing history as one of the greatest fighters ever is secure. As memories are shared of Ali, the world can examine the relevance of Islam in the Black struggle. She taught us to love people and treat everybody with kindness. Muhammad Ali later said, "My mother is a Baptist, and when I was growing up, she taught me all she knew about God. The brother walked up to me and said, my brother, do you want to buy a Muhammad Speaks newspaper, so that you can read about your own kind, read the real truth of your history, your true religion, your true name before you were [given] the White Mans name in slavery? He said, oh, by the way there is a meeting that we are having today on 27th and Chestnut St. at 8 oclock this evening. It does not promote terrorism or killing people. Three years later, he won the National Golden Gloves Tournament of Champions, as well as the Amateur Athletic Unions national title for the light heavyweight division. Omissions? One faction, the Shi'a, believed that only individuals with direct lineage to the Prophet could guide the Muslim . Following his loss to Frazier, Ali won 10 fights in a row, 8 of them against world-class opponents. Even after Ali converted to Islam, he still held onto his belief in God, just by another name, like his mother taught him. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. After graduating high school, he traveled to Rome and won the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. Articles with the HISTORY.com Editors byline have been written or edited by the HISTORY.com editors, including Amanda Onion, Missy Sullivan and Matt Mullen. They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didnt put no dogs on me, they didnt rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. Updated: September 12, 2018 | Original: December 16, 2009. In 1978 he lost his title to Leon Spinks, a novice boxer with an Olympic gold medal but only seven professional fights to his credit. And at the time it was about 6 oclock in the evening. In November 2002, Ali met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on a three-day mission as a Messenger of Peace for the United Nations. Discussion of the grandfather of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) comes under the heading of rulings on the people of the fatrah which, as Ibn Katheer said, refers to the interval between two Prophets, such as that between 'Eesa (peace be upon him) and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when there was a break in the . Finally granted a license to fight in 1970 in Georgia, which did not have a statewide athletic commission, Ali returned to the ring at Atlantas City Auditorium on October 26 with a win over Jerry Quarry. You have reached your limit of free articles. In celebration of Muhammad Ali's extraordinary journey, MyHeritage decided to build his family tree and share his family and personal history.. Muhammad is a descendant of pre-Civil War era American slaves in the American . Ali died on June 3, 2016, in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being hospitalized for what was reportedly a respiratory issue. Our staff also works with freelance writers, researchers, and other contributors to produce the smart, compelling profiles and articles you see on our site. According to Plimpton the "bright light darting in the sky", seen by Ali and Jones, was probably either Venus or Jupiter. Years before his passing, Ali had planned his own memorial services, saying he wanted to be inclusive of everyone, where we give as many people an opportunity that want to pay their respects to me, according to a family spokesman. Speakers included religious leaders from various faiths: Attallah Shabazz, Malcolm Xs eldest daughter; broadcaster Bryant Gumbel; former President Bill Clinton; comedian Billy Crystal; Alis daughters Maryum and Rasheda; and his widow, Lonnie. Clay was a decided underdog. After six hundred years of working in a laboratory, Yakub created the white race. When his beloved bicycle was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. Then, with the Vietnam War raging, Ali showed up for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967. The end of his friendship with Malcolm because one of Alis greatest regrets in life, wrote Randy Roberts, the co-author of Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. In his first amateur bout in 1954, he won the fight by split decision. For the performance, Smith received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1975, Ali and Frazier locked horns again for their grudge match on October 1 in Quezon City, Philippines. Ali took the stance of a conscientious objector as a black Muslim and ultimately was arrested then convicted. Since then, he has authored some 50 books on subjects ranging from professional boxing to Beethoven. Muhammad Ali Jr.'s Children: Ameera Ali and Shakera Ali. One of Alis greatest regrets and he said as much is that he never patched things up with Malcolm, that he never told Malcolm how important he was to him. Unable to compete professionally in the meantime, Ali missed more than three prime years of his athletic career. From a technical point of view, the second Ali-Frazier bout was probably Alis best performance in the ring after his exile from boxing. Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) was an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century. Muhammad Ali, original name Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., (born January 17, 1942, Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.died June 3, 2016, Scottsdale, Arizona), American professional boxer and social activist. I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given, he said. [15], After Elijah Muhammad's death, in 1975, his son Wallace D. Muhammad (later Warith Deen Mohammed) assumed leadership of the organization, following which the fundamental doctrines of the Nation of Islam underwent a change to bring them closer to Sunni Islam. I am angry that the world sees a certain group of Islam followers who caused this destruction, but they are not real Muslims. [3], Ali first met Malcolm X, Elijah Muhammad's chief disciple at the time in Detroit in 1962. There was more good than bad. According to Islamic belief, Muhammad was the only person to see Heaven and Hell while still alive. He was known for boasting about his skills before a fight and for his colorful descriptions and phrases. The New York boxing commission suspended Alis license the same day he was arrested and stripped him of his heavyweight title. Photo: Maryum Ali's parents together while she was in her father's arm. Clay started working with Martin to learn how to spar and soon began his boxing career. Islam is a religion of peace. The pair had known each other since Lonnie was just 6 and Ali was 21; their mothers were best friends and raised their families on the same street. He was also known for his public stance against the Vietnam War. He continued to attend meetings, although keeping his involvement hidden from the public. A Look At Tatyana Ali's Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Religious Background. "After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. "[15][16][d], Ali decided to follow the teachings of Wallace Muhammad. He converted to Islam in the mid-1960s under the guidance of his mentor Elijah Muhammad, leader of the Nation of Islam. Ali prevailed in his first two comeback fights, against Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena. The incident he describes in the letterpicking up the newspaper and reading the cartoonmay have been one in a series of influential events. LW. The article quoted Cassius Clay Sr. as saying that his son had joined the Black Muslims when he was 18. I sneaked into meetings, sneak in the back door, look around for the police officer, pass me in, before going in. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. The boxer eventually converted to orthodox Islam during the 1970s. I cherish the good moments. Pallbearers included Will Smith, who once portrayed Ali on film, and former heavyweight champions Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Devastating news late Friday night. Laila Ali and Muhammad Ali pose for a photo after Laila won the Super Middleweight title in June 2005. Muhammad Ali prays in a mosque at his former training camp in Deer Lake, Pennsylvaina, in June 1991. Ali got up but lost in a unanimous decision, experiencing his first defeat as a pro. All Rights Reserved. He was found guilty of violating Selective Service laws and sentenced to five years in prison in June 1967 but remained free while appealing his conviction. Write to Sean Gregory at sean.gregory@time.com. "[6][7][8][a], In an interview with George Plimpton, given shortly before his rematch with Liston,[10] Ali expounded on the ontological teachings of Elijah Muhammad and Elijah's instructor Wallace Fard Muhammad. Following his suspension for refusing military service in the Vietnam War, Ali reclaimed the heavyweight title two more times during the 1970s, winning famed bouts against Joe Frazier and George Foreman along the way. Ali was married four times and had nine children, including two childrendaughters Miya and Khaliahhe fathered outside of marriage. He made a statement saying: Islam is a religion of peace. In addition, he was criminally indicted and, on June 20, 1967, convicted of refusing induction into the U.S. armed forces and sentenced to five years in prison. After that he fought Joe Frazier a second time and won a unanimous 12-round decision. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman (1949-). He buried both of Muhammad's parents and Lonnie's mother, and when Ali used the visitation of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. as an opportunity to hand out Islamic literature at the head of the casket . He continued training, formed amateur boxing leagues, and fought whomever he could in local gyms. Ali and Lonnie had one son together, Asaad, and remained married until Alis death. Like Malcolm X before him, Ali left the Nation and embraced the more mainstream Sunni Islam in 1975 following the death of Elijah Muhammad. Sufism means wisdom, both from within and without, and is not classified as a religion. Identity Muhammad Ali's Conversion to Islam Changed the World For my father and many others, it. His father, Cassius Clay, Sr., worked as a sign painter and his mother, Odessa, worked as a maid. [28] He was a descendant of slaves of the antebellum South, and was predominantly of African descent, with Irish [29] and English family heritage. Following the win, the two held an evening of reflection in a hotel room with Jim Brown and Sam Cooke that became the inspiration for the One Night in Miami stage play and 2020 drama film. Over the years, Ali supported the Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, among other organizations. Muhammad Ali Jr is the first son born to Muhammad Ali by his second wife Khalilah Camacho Ali. Allah has opened the door for him in paradise, she tells TIME. Conversely, the thought of having to face a dreaded "Black Muslim" must have been at the very least a slightly daunting proposition for many of Ali's opponents, especially the ones he christened "Uncle Toms."[32]. Ali married his fourth and final wife Yolanda, who went by Lonnie, in 1986. The strategy worked, and Ali won in an eighth-round knockout to regain the title stripped from him seven years prior. We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda. Following Ali's death, I graciously witnessed my own family's story on television and social media. At that time it was the first time I had seen a Muhammad Speaks newspaper. Khan was an Indian-born musician and Sufi master who lived from 1882 to 1927, according to the International Sufi Movement. My parents converted to Islam like Ali, and started their spiritual journey in the religion with the Nation of Islam. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 1942. 9. Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., the elder son of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) and Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky. A few years before his death, Ali underwent surgery for spinal stenosis, a condition causing the narrowing of the spine, which limited his mobility and ability to communicate. Alis father, Cassius Clay Sr., was a Methodist, but he allowed his wife, Odessa OGrady Clay, a devout Christian, raised their sons Cassius Jr. (Ali) and Rudolph Rudy, as Baptist. Historical Marker #2339 in Louisville notes the location of the house where the famous boxer and humanitarian Muhammad Ali grew up. The 1996 documentary When We Were Kings explores Alis training process for his 1974 fight against George Foreman and the African political climate at the time. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Ali opened the Muhammad Ali Center, a multicultural center with a museum dedicated to his life and legacy, in his hometown of Louisville in 2005. A member of Ali's entourage, Cody Jones, who was also present during this interview, corroborated what Ali said and claimed he had seen the platform together with Ali at five A.M. one morning when the two were out jogging. Both . Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff in 2023, and before that had worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. His father, born in 1912,. Although he remained free on bail, four years passed before his conviction was unanimously overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court on a narrow procedural ground. A few months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in June 1971, allowing Ali to fight on a regular basis. Name: Muhammad Ali (Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.) Profession: Activist and Professional Boxer. Subsequently, he encouraged all mosques affiliated with his organization to "be independent under the leadership of the Muslim American Society, or the Ministry of W. Deen Mohammed. Youve got to check yourself. He went on to become an icon for American Muslims. Alis triumph over Williams was succeeded by victories over Ernie Terrell and Zora Folley. Among them was an "evil genius", Yakub, the "devil" of this religion. Alis stature as a legend continues to grow even after his death. Triumphs over Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo, Henry Cooper, Brian London, and Karl Mildenberger followed. Floored by Malcolm Xs fearlessness as an orator, the two developed a friendship and Clay became more involved in the Black Muslim group. They are Rasheda, Jamillah, Maryum, Miya, Khaliah, Hana, and Laila. But in one of the most stunning upsets in sports history, Liston retired to his corner after six rounds, and Clay became the new champion. In an excerpt from the Ali biography, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times, the boxer is quoted as saying: My mother is a Baptist, and when I was growing up, she taught me all she knew about God. Having refused induction into the U.S. Army, he also stood for the proposition that unless you have a very good reason to kill, war is wrong. As Black activist Julian Bond later observed, When a figure as heroic and beloved as Muhammad Ali stood up and said, No, I wont go, it reverberated through the whole society.. Ali didn't write about why Islam attracted him in spiritual terms. By Hana Yasmeen Ali. He has been a world soul for many decades; he has grown from separatist to universalist. He was the father of three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali and Rahman Ali, and the paternal grandfather of Laila Ali. Malcolm X is credited with playing a critical role in the evolution of Ali's religious views by steering him towards the Nation of Islam. Now there is another version of Alis story, which is arguably the most definitive of the bunch, appearing first in TIME. He refused to serve in the Vietnam War, referring to himself as a conscientious objector, and was arrested. The former champions motor skills slowly declined, and his movement and speech were limited. After his bike was stolen, Clay told police officer Joe Martin that he wanted to beat up the thief. Other recipients of the award have included include Ella Fitzgerald, Venus and Serena Williams, Kerry Washington, Spike Lee, John Legend, Rihanna, and LeBron James. Muhammad Ali received guidance from Sunni-Sufi Islamic scholars such as Grand Mufti of Syria Almarhum Asy-Syaikh Ahmed Kuftaro, Shaykh Hisham Kabbani, Imam Zaid Shakir, Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, and Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti, who was at Ali's bedside during his last days and ensured that his funeral was in accordance with Islamic rites and rituals.[29][30]. Powered by. Uncle-in-law of Curtis Conway. When Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of the seventh round, Clay was indeed crowned heavyweight champion of the world. Later the Muslim leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) gave him the name Muhammad Ali, which means "beloved of Allah." (Allah is the god worshipped by Muslims.) Citing his religious beliefs, he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career. It did something to me. Thus, purists cringed when Clay predicted the round in which he intended to knock out an opponent, and they grimaced when he did so and bragged about each new conquest. I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world.