I've grown up admiring Muhammad Ali as both a boxer and an incredible person, so to hear of his death left me near tears.
In his book, "The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey," Muhammad Ali said he wanted to be remembered as "a man who won the heavyweight title three times, who was humorous and who treated everyone right. As a man who never looked down on those who looked up to him, and who helped as many people as he could. As a man who stood up for his beliefs no matter what. As a man who tried to unite all humankind through faith and love."
As we all continue to mourn his loss and celebrate his incredible life, I think it’s safe to say that anyone who knows anything about Muhammad Ali understands how amazing he was – not just a champion in the ring, but a champion in society.
In the face of worsening symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease, he continued to fight the horrible illness and refused to succumb to it. He never stopped working hard, always putting 100 percent into everything he did and showing love and compassion to all those around him. Humble and steadfast in his faith, he believed “God gave me this disease to remind me that I’m not number one, He is.”
He has taught us all the importance of standing up for what we believe in, no matter the cost. When young men were being drafted to serve in Vietnam, Ali actively voiced his disapproval. He didn’t care that he was risking his career to publicly voice his opinion, but he always stood by his morals. He didn’t want to travel 10,000 miles to fight a war he disagreed with when he was watching people die right in his community. “So, I’ll go to jail, so what? We’ve been in jail for 400 years." In interviews, he always made sure to speak out against racism and the poor treatment of African-Americans in this nation. He even recently spoke out against Donald Trump and his interest in banning Muslims from entering the U.S. Through old age, through all the medical and personal hardships he faced, Muhammad Ali never stopped standing up for what’s right. I think we could all use more of this courage.
He taught us that a champion is not made a champion by the strength of his body, but the strength of his heart and mind. He understood that losing was just an opportunity to come back stronger than ever, that “impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it.” He would speak of hatred as something that he worked to his favor, that the opponents who challenged him the most actually brought out the best in him.
As a Muslim American, I can confidently say that he makes me proud to be a part of this community. He truly embodied everything an African-American, a Muslim, should aspire to be in the U.S. – strong, bold, caring, compassionate, and unapologetically honest. He was even stronger outside of the ring than he was in it, and his moral code is one we can all look up to.
Rest in power, and thank you for all that you’ve taught us.
