by Zahid Mian
In the early 1980s, I lived in the small town of Rabwah, Pakistan. At that time, children in Rabwah, had limited access to the outside world, thereby keeping our perception of the world simple. Occasionally, we went to a neighbor’s house to watch American television shows like “Diff’rent Strokes” and the “The Six Million Dollar Man.” Regardless of what American program was on the tv, the adults inevitably mentioned the name Muhammad Ali with great adulation. I questioned my father about Muhammad Ali, and he spoke effusively and with some exaggeration about his boxing match in The Republic of Congo. While I wasn’t attracted to the sport of boxing, my father’s glowing setup of Muhammad Ali’s fights generated further intrigue into his life.

As a child, I assumed he was a great athlete, but it wasn’t until I moved to America in the 1980s and read the details of his life that I realized why he was such a legendary figure. I initially read about him at age 11 in a Scholastic school magazine. The first fact that captured my attention was that he was born Cassius Clay and later converted to Islam. As as result, I became intrigued with his life and started reading his biography. Initially, I saw him as solely a political figure and assumed that his conversion to Islam was also politically motivated, especially after reading that some aspects of his lifestyle were not acceptable practices per Islam. Yet when I became a teenager, I reflected upon my own behavior and realized that no one is perfect and the struggle to overcome personal demons is part of the path to finding God. It was during this time that my respect for Muhammad Ali increased since despite his struggles he soldiered on like a true Muslim.

Muhammad Ali’s race was not an initial focus for me since I wasn’t well versed with the struggles of African Americans during my elementary studies in Pakistan. However by high school, I had gained a much greater insight for the struggles of African Americans and in light of that his life’s trajectory took on a more meaningful persona. His words resonated with me as a struggling immigrant and for my not so mainstream belief as a Muslim who believes in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Muhammad Ali was no longer simply a great athlete to me- he was now a larger than life civil rights character with a gifted ability to convey his message with both empathy and force while holding steadfast to personal beliefs.

Ali’s refusal to be conscripted into the U.S. military during the Vietnam War continues to serve as the standard for real conviction. He stood his ground knowing the consequence was incarceration. He lost three and half years in the prime of his career, but at that moment demonstrated what it means to speak personal truth to those in power. His statement about the lunacy of war is among the best, and most powerful anti-war statements ever uttered. He challenged us to ask ourselves that despite all of us possessing strong convictions, who amongst us is willing to go public with those at the most inconvenient time?

By the time I came of age to fully appreciate his magnitude, he was in the midst of his torment with Parkinson’s Syndrome. It was tough to reconcile that the man who dubbed himself “the greatest” was now struggling to walk. In spite of his illness, he surprised me yet once again by continuing his goodwill missions across the world. He transformed himself from the image of a world champion boxer to an avuncular family member. The media adored him, even when he supported both left and right wing agendas. He famously supported Ronald Reagan on the basis that he kept God in the classroom and refused to have his Hollywood Walk of Fame star encased in the sidewalk out of respect to the name of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Despite his strong convictions, he remained revered as evident with the selection of him lighting the Olympic Torch in Atlanta providing America with one of its most touching moments in history.

Now in death, he has once again reawakened the consciousness of America during a time when leaders easily change their views to be favored, and a nation still struggles with race and Islam. The worldwide tributes make it clear that we need more men like Muhammad Ali, who struggle for their reform and in turn serve others. Muhammad Ali did what Islam asks of its followers namely, to be mindful of your fellow citizens, seek justice for the weak and to continue in your personal reform. This is why I remain proud to call him my brother in Islam.