World boxing legend, Muhammad Ali is a man of African American descent who converted to Islam after his famous name.
After becoming a convert, he became an icon for American Muslims. But not many people know the real reason that Ali decided to recite the Creed.
As reported by NDTV, Friday (27/10/2017), the real reason Ali converted to Islam is when he was fighting at home with his wife, Belinda.
At that time, Ali was out of control. Belinda then instructed Ali to sit down and write an essay. He asked him to write about why he became a Muslim. Ali then took a blank sheet of paper and a blue pen and began writing.
Belinda now uses the name Khalilah Camacho-Ali later on Wednesday, October 25, 2017 to bring the essay to the National Museum of African American History and Culture to see if the curator will include it in the museum's collection.
According to Belinda, the experience Ali recounts reminds everyone that even the most powerful spiritual journey can have a simple beginning.
In his letter, Ali wrote about his teenage years in Louisville when he was known as Cassius Clay Jr. One day Ali saw a man wearing a black mohair suit, selling a Nation of Islam publication as he walked around looking for beautiful girls.
Ali had previously heard about the American Islamic organization and its leader, Elijah Muhammad, but he never thought seriously about joining the group, who used some Islamic teachings to fight for blacks and self-improvement.
Ali picked up a newspaper and was interested in a cartoon. The cartoon shows a white slave owner hitting his black slave and asking the person to pray to Jesus.
The message he was capturing at the time was that Christianity was a religion imposed on slaves by white people.
"I love that cartoon that gives something to me, and that makes sense," he said
Ali admitted to Islam not spiritually, but pragmatism. The cartoon woke him up, and he realized he did not choose Christianity. He did not choose Cassius Clay's name. So why should he keep the remnants of slavery? And if he does not have to look after his religion or his name, what else can he change?
In 1964, when he won the heavyweight championship, he announced publicly and made an independent statement: "I believe in God and with peace," he said.
"I am no longer a Christian. I know where I am going and I know the truth. I do not have to be what you want. I am free to be what I want."
In the following years, Ali continues to explore his religious views. He does not always have a clear philosophy. He does not always fit the principles he supports. But he never stopped asking questions.
When Elijah Muhammad died and the Nation of Islam reformed, Ali embraced orthodox Islam. He studied the Qur'an and sometimes invited religious scholars to join him for a lengthy discussion of religion.
Muhammad Ali acknowledged that his religious journey began while trying to find beautiful girls and cartoons in newspapers. After that, Ali is not only a boxing sporting figure, but also a figure in the Islamic world that is respected by many people.
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