Muhammad Ali’s Truth: As Told By AD
When I woke up this morning I did my regular routine after a late night. I slugged a full bottle of Poland Springs, did my prayers, then took to Apple News to see what was going on in the rest of the world.
The moment I opened the app I was bombarded by headlines that made me sick to my stomach: Muhammad Ali, ‘The Greatest of All Time’, Dead at 74. My initial feelings were of grief and sorrow. Not long into this feeling I realized I was being selfish. I was envious of everyone who not only had the honor of meeting Ali but were able to thank him for the positivity he blessed this world with. So rather than be envious, I want to take this time to reflect on what I call “Muhammad Ali’s Truth” and how it has shaped many of us.
When Cassius Clay was 12, someone stole his bicycle. As a result took up boxing to make sure it would never happen again. Through this anger he found his passion. When I read this story when I was young, I remember vividly thinking that if it were not for a two-bit bike thief, Clay very well could have never would have discovered boxing. This was my first introduction into the mantra ‘everything happens for a reason’. In my opinion, this mantra embodies Ali. All of his struggles, whether they be with a bike thief, the US Government, or Parkinson’s Disease proved to shed light on his truth; beauty can emerge from pain and hardship. This is a crucial lesson for a young black male living in a country where pain and hardship is all most of us know. Knowing that everything happens for a reason allows you to put your faith in you path. Regardless of how dark the tunnel is, and how many times you trip or fall; as long as you keep moving forward, you will emerge triumphant.
Ten years later at the ripe age of 22, Ali chose to convert to Islam. As a young Muslim living in a community of mainly Catholics, I gravitated towards Ali for this reason. As a kid you naturally want to fit in. Subconsciously I’m sure I wanted to be Christian so people would stop asking me why I don’t eat bacon, whether or not I knew terrorists, wouldn’t get harassed by TSA, etc. But Ali did the exact opposite. He went against the grain because he believed Islam was a part of his truth; and it was. TRUE Islamics promote peace. Though it would take a few years for Ali to be on the righteous path in Islam, this stance resulted in turmoil when he refused to fight in the Vietnam war stating:
“My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America. And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father… Shoot them for what? …How can I shoot them poor people, just take me to jail.”
This quote is especially powerful to me because of what he had to lose. A $10,000 fine, up to 10 years in prison, and the inability to box for up to three years were all on the line. Ali never wavered. He knew what he was standing for and there is so much beauty in that.
I believe Ali’s truth has influenced many of the greats whether they know it or not (I’d assume most know it). You can see the Muhammad Ali in the way people like Steve Jobs and Michael Jordan acted in their respective primes. Most people don’t want you to be unapologetically great. They want you to be great and not talk about it. Muhammad Ali said fuck that. He was determined to be the best there ever was and needed the entire world to know that. In our society self-confidence is one of the greatest attributes you can have as a leader. That same self-confidence will also get you demonized by onlookers. Ali didn’t care. He sprinted down that dark tunnel blind as a bat while talking shit. This confidence inspired a generation. For that, among many other things, I pray that you rest in Paradise Muhammad Ali, you deserve it.
