RIS presents "In the Shadow of Ali" - A Tribute to the People's Champ Muhammad Ali

asset erotica reviving the Islamic spirit is presenting a tribute to the recently deceased people's champ Muhammad Ali may Allah forever have mercy and peace upon his soul Ali's life which flashed miracle II across the sky of his error serves as a source of guidance strength inspiration and hope not only for Muslims but indeed for all people during these troubled times his courage to resist a brutal unjust no initially widely popular war helped to catalyze one of the most successful political mobilizations in American history his strident advocacy for truth and justice during the time African Americans were expected to confine themselves to assult off' eyeing and narrowly define social political place instilled courage and pride in millions of poor and disenfranchised people throughout America and in wide swaths of the third world his willingness to surrender the title he cherished and to suffer the loss of his career along with the previous previously unimaginable financial benefits it promised inspired millions of people to stand by their principles regardless of the consequences his unstinting calling to Islam the foundation of his adult life likely has no parallel among contemporary Muslims in North America his quiet dignified embrace of the illness that would erode his unmatched physical prowess and silence the famous Louisville lip motivated people struggling with disabilities to forge on in the face of sometimes seemingly insurmountable challenges finally his love his off love touch the hearts of millions rendered his enemies into friends and transcended not just borders but all of the walls we often erect to serve as barriers to mutual understanding cooperation and empathy Ally smash those walls we intend for this tribute to serve not just as a reminder of why Ally is the greatest of all time inside the ring but also a champion for us outside the ring but to inspire us to go out and into endeavor to be great in our time join us as we pay a fitting tribute to a legend Muhammad Ali [Applause] at this time I'd like to call the family of our champ at this time the family of our champ Muhammad Ali please come up to the stage Miriam Ali Rashidah Ali Jamila Ali in addition I'd like to call up one of our personal champions if they had Muhammad next our beloved teachers and scholars Hussein Abdullah and Hamza Abdullah last but certainly not least our mmm beige jacket [Applause] it is unfortunate that muhammad ali's wife could not be with us tonight however Lonnie Ali has a special message for us and at this time would take a moment to hear it assalamualaikum r is for those who don't know me I'm Lonnie Olli the wife of Muhammad Ali not only a champion for Muslims but the people's champ may Allah have mercy on his soul I apologize to not being with you today as I have unable to join you in person it was my desire to be there with you however circumstances arose was prevented me from attending as planned please accept my sincere apologies in that regard on a more positive note congratulations on the 15th anniversary of this conference this anniversary is a wonderful milestone especially for what I understand to be a youth initiative it's always heartening to see our youth take positive leadership roles in our communities I also understand that this conference was initiated in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks to foster a more positive view of Islam and Muslims in general and to prove the spirits of Muslims to those particularly difficult days if that is indeed the case then the conference's is relevant and vital today as it was at the time of its inception we still have a lot of work to do to enlighten our neighbors and fellow citizens about the beauty of Islam and the best way to do that is to example service to others just the way Mohammed conveyed his loved ones long we should be the first volunteers in our communities to extend the hand of help to those in need regardless of religion race or political persuasions and I know in many communities across North America that is already taking place and I applaud your actions and your efforts I wish to have been a special thank you to the organizers for this tribute that had been planned for my husband Muhammad had an immense heart filled with love for all of humanity however he had a special place in his heart for salon and lucky he would have been so thrilled that the community is honoring him as you are this evening as someone as someone once said to Muhammad it is not the example of your power that makes you great it is the power of your example may we always always be inspired by Muhammad's example to be an ambassador for peace love understanding goodwill and Brotherhood in a world where such qualities like so many other things we have deemed precious are threatened with extinction let's all honor Muhammad in the year of 2017 the year to some a good birthday by being examples of the best humanity has to offer I wish you a very successful and inspiring conference assalamualaikum [Applause] and this time I'd like to bring to the to the podium someone that has definitely followed in the footsteps of our champion first she is the first Muslim woman in hijab to represent a u.s. Olympic team she's the first Muslim woman to medal for Team USA ma sha Allah he's the number two fencer in the United States and she's number seven in the world Muhammad Ali broke many barriers at the first Muslim heavyweight champion although as the first heavyweight champion of the world his stride in defense of his faith and principle demanded very challenging sacrifices as the first American Olympian to wear the hijab bronze medalist if she has muhammad has broken many barriers herself what are some of the challenges she had to deal with and how did her fate help her with the courage to overcome them what is her advice to Muslim women and girls were struggling with hijab and other daunting issues during this time of rising hostility towards Islam and Muslims is she an anomaly anomaly or candle essence she has been learned via source of benefit and inspiration for all Muslims male and female alike these are the issues that will be addressed in this lecture by our sister our champion if the hedge Muhammad [Applause] it's the last matter a team Excel my like them I can't hear you all the way in the back assalamu alaikum that's better thank you so much for that warm welcome it's truly an honor to be here I've only been to Ras once I'm so happy to be back in Toronto Canada and again I appreciate you guys coming here to listen to this panel of amazing speakers who here knows what fencing is anybody oh yeah all right so that's good we have a few people who know what fencing is for those of you who don't fencing essentially is like modern-day sword fighting it historically it was reserved for like the noble for the wealthy in society and essentially was a very white sport for a very long time people always wonder how I as a black woman as a Muslim got involved in fencing and our family we didn't have much of a choice on whether or not we would participate in sport but rather what sport we would play I'm not sure if that was indicative of us being an african-american family where sport was just very very important to my parents but also my parents saw sport as a way to meet my siblings to socialize in a halal way to be physically active and also they knew where we were from the hours of 3:00 to 5:00 after school I am played volleyball growing up I played softball I were in tracked tennis and for me in each of these sports it was always a struggle for any Muslim woman who's ever tried to workout we all know the struggle and trying to maintain our modesty while also pursuing that desire to be physically fit I remember from a really young age spending so much time with my mom in sporting goods stores every Muslim woman knows the story but trying to find the perfect long-sleeve top to go underneath you know your school uniform or finding a pair of pants that matched your school colors that you could wear underneath the shorts but you called too far outside of uniform from your teammates we spent so much time doing these things and as a kid I didn't realize the importance of the uniform I didn't realize how there was a disconnect for me for my teammates because I was always out of uniform and when I was 12 years old from a loss of panatela i fencing was placed into my life my mom and I were driving past a local high school and literally from the road we saw fencers inside of this school and my mom knew that will they have on long sleeves and they have on long pants and what we thought were helmets at the time she's like I don't know what it is but when you get to high school I want you to try it out and essentially that's how fencing came into my life my participation in the sport began from a dream of acceptance from a dream of inclusion where I could pursue my desire to be involved in sport but I could simultaneously be comfortable as an athlete as a Muslim who observed the hijab and the opportunity that I had been afforded to find a sport that uniquely accommodated my religious beliefs where I could be covered in my uniform was written long ago I'll never forget my early years of fencing when I would go to local fencing competitions I didn't realize the burden of being involved in such a sport that was so expensive I didn't realize the burden it placed on my parents I didn't realize the financial burden like mayil also had a tall bust my parents they never allowed me to know that it was a burden for our family for me to be involved in fencing it was so expensive a lot of people don't know that about our sport the mask itself can cost you up to a $500 the jacket that you see me wear even at the Olympic Games can cost you $300 and the the list goes on and on and on and as a kid I had no idea how expensive it was but I knew one thing when my mom would dropped me off at fencing competitions she would always do the same thing really positive she's like you know what go out there be positive believe in yourself but don't waste my money right my mom a lot he always said the same thing me so I knew I had to come home I had to bring ahead this competition from like men my mom is serious you can't waste your money that means you got to go up there you got to show out you got to like be one through three you got to be at the top of the tournament when I would go to these local competitions as a kid at 13 at 14 it was my very first experience being where my religion and my skin color had the power to make other people uncomfortable I'll never forget being a competitions and being reminded that I was different as the only brown kid in the room the only black kid in the room I had parents of other athletes asked the officials in the referees if my hood job if their kids were safe to compete with me because I wore hijab it's in some way it would interfere with my performance I would go to competitions as a kid and people would always acknowledge me for being different for being you know the black athlete in the room one time I had a parent come up to me and she said did you know they're black people who fence a fence in New York did you know this and I remember I was like man I'm so offended like oh no she didn't tell me again remind me of my skin color remind me that I was different but I remember I went home to my mom and I was like mommy there are black people who fence in New York right so we went online with googled it to try to find out where they were and a hamdullah I was blessed to find a nonprofit organization in New York City there were minority too involved in the sport of fencing and not just a few there were so many people involved in the sport there hundreds of kids in New York City who were exposed to fencing through through a guy who almost had a similar experience to me who is different in this board who wanted to take the way for other athletes and it was my first time seeing people successful in the sport but still there wasn't anyone who looked like me there wasn't any other Muslim woman right when I looked at Team USA Team USA was so different for me so different from the diversity of my community so different from the diversity of the United States that I knew and when I think of my journey as an athlete and I think of all times Brett could have walked away and perhaps chose something that was a little bit easier where where I would feel more comfortable right to be around people who look like me share the similar beliefs or similar values anyone who knows me knows that I never ever take no for an answer I hated that there were two here that there were things that I couldn't do because I was a girl or there people thought there were things I couldn't do because I was black or things that I couldn't do because I work a job because I was Muslim even as a member of Team USA I know that I'm sure on TV it all looked super glamorous and fun and easy I'm on a team where I'm the only woman of color I travel by myself sometimes 12 to 15 different countries a year by myself away from my family away from my friends away from anything that I know and the one thing that I have to hold on to is the Rope of Allah [Applause] to know that my journey was bigger than me for all those times on for four years of trying to qualify for the US Olympic team there are so many moments where you know you have doubt and sheet on creeps into your mind and you think you know maybe this isn't for me because there are people who want to challenge who you are who don't want you to succeed simply because of who you are it's in those moments where you have to believe in yourself and you have to believe in your journey there's one thing that I've always thought about as an athlete and that's how do I leave in lasting impact it's one thing to perform on the fencing strip for me it's one thing to perform you know on the field of play but it's another thing to leave a lasting impact outside of sport growing up I never had a Muslim female athlete to look to for inspiration I remember as a kid hearing you know the names of Muhammad Ali Kareem abdul-jabbar Hakeem Olajuwon and I've always admired Ali Princess Pledis ISM for his prowess for his unapologetic attitude and like many millenials it wasn't until after his death that I truly wanted the scope of his work where I sat down and I watched interview after interview I watched videos of him because I wanted to know the full scope of his work outside of the ring as a social activist as a humanitarian he demonstrates to society that the Muslim community was and still is committed to peace being humble being a humble athlete wasn't part of his repertoire that wasn't who he was but for him that was challenging the status quo challenging the norms challenging the idea that you had to be acceptable to white America you had to be acceptable and had to put you in a box and you had to you know kind of walk in a straight line you couldn't stray you couldn't support those who who don't have voices who often go unheard who struggles aren't listening to you he challenged that Norm he demanded respect as a boxer and as an african-american he was unapologetically black he radiated courage and confidence and he was willing to sacrifice the best years of his career to stand and fight for what was right and not just for himself but for all of us there's still that expectation today that you have to keep your head down especially for us as athletes that you're not allowed to stray outside of what is acceptable know that everything that I do as an athlete I've always thought of the people who come after me and hamdullah been able to have strong predecessors like Muhammad Ali to look to you and know that your journey is bigger than you your goal in life is bigger than than just your life and sport and this time and then this day of age especially as Americans and even as Canadians we have to be really cognitive of the things that are said not just about us in our communities and about people of color and that we have to support one another we have to be our strength thing you have to believe in your journey if I leave you with anything please please know that you have to be your biggest supporter you have to be your biggest champion and know that Allah has given you everything you need to succeed in this life and be successful and also be a champion for change and be a support for those whose voices often go unheard thank you so much for your time [Applause] thank you in Sahaj and we thank your mother and your father for making that sacrifice and putting you on this path and hel Muhammad Ali taught us so much about being unapologetically Muslim being unapologetically black and being unapologetically great hmm next we have another wonderful athlete who's also followed in the footsteps of this legacy when Muhammad Ali was faced with induction into the US Army he was forced to examine his principles and priorities and to make a very fateful choice Hussain Abdullah recently announced his retirement from the NFL in a moving article which examined how he made the choice to retire from the NFL that choice was informed by a serious assessment of what were his priorities in this lecture he will talk about how a combination of experience and faith can help us keep things in perspective and make wise choices he will also discuss how we can best use the platform Allah gives us to call to Islam and represent in the very best of ways without any further ado Hussein of the law [Applause] salamualikum' first I'd like to thank RS for bringing me out here to seriously talk about a childhood hero this man is like a superhero to me I didn't get the opportunity to meet Muhammad Ali here on earth but in shall I pray that I as well as everyone else we get an opportunity to meet him in gender in 19 year 1966 24 years old handsome outspoken quick feet quick hands quick what is width and the heavyweight champion of the world relaxing in Miami Florida all of a sudden reporters begin to flock to him like bees to honey the phone began to ring off the hook questions away how do you feel about Vietnam do you know where Vietnam is is this war just war could you kill a Vietcong what if a Vietcong try to kill you ally retorted man I ain't got no quarrel with them Viacom later adding how can I kill somebody when I pray five times a day for peace morals valuable values and principled a clear understanding between truth and falsehood a clear understanding between right and wrong this is who we are as Muslims when you took the Shahada and each one of us at some point in your life you took your Shahada it was an old it was a commitment it wasn't just a feel-good moment it was the beginning of you embarking on life's journey to abandon immorality to lead by example as Muslims we lead a life of purpose and a life of principle Allah has blessed everyone with free will and free choices and we had a choice whether or whether or not to be present and we are here you have to remember that a lot shows us and he honored us with dignity he raised us amongst others as Muslims this is a blessing to all of us and as Muslims we make our principle choices and is rooted in divine guidance Ali was quoted as saying why should they ask me to put on the uniform and go ten thousand miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people and Vietnam while so-called Negro people and louie's they are treated like dogs if I thought going the world would bring freedom to 22 million of my people they wouldn't have to dress me I joined them all but I either have to obey the laws of the land or the laws of Allah I have nothing to lose by standing up and following my beliefs so I'll go to jail we've been in jail for 400 years I want you guys to remember this is a this is a 24 year old boxer talking a 24 year old this is three years after the President of the United States JFK was assassinated this is a year after Malcolm X was assassinated this is a man who was well aware in this time if people don't agree agree with you they'll kill you and he still took this stand based off principle everyone in this audience for the people who are tuning in into the Muslims of the world over understand you can make a difference with all due respect to everybody on this stage and everybody who comes up on the stage it shouldn't take a boxer to make a stand for you to become Muslim it shouldn't take a professional football player an olympic fencer a politician Imam so-and-so Sheikh so-and-so this person on Twitter or Instagram who has thousands or millions of followers you can make a difference you have to remove you have to start off by removing all your self-doubt remove all your negative thoughts and you have to start now living a life based off principle we have to we have to have the certainty in Allah Allah grants us certainty and let that certainty wash away fear any emotion we feel let that cause you to have urgency not just to sit by and wait for the next man to do the job you get up I recently retired earlier in March because of a had I had a few concussions while playing football and the more and more research is coming out that concussions and traumatic brain injury leads to long-term brain disease as a Muslim my reasoning and my my ability to make decisions are sacred our decision-making has has implications in this life and in the Hereafter so that's that's what caused me to stop playing football thank you in 2012 and 2012 I went to Haj a company with my wife my brother hums and a boss my mother and my father was now deceased me a lot of mercy on them and at that time there were people from the left side from the right side now a Muslim Muslim saying why don't you just wait till you're done playing in go to Hajj just make it much money as you can then go to Hajj you're in the spotlight then go to Hajj our fifth pillar is more beloved to us than any worldly gain so we stopped playing football and we're for hire Muhammad Ali was exiled he was isolated he was stripped of his titles and he was slandered everybody ran away from him they created public policy overnight so the man couldn't box they took away his passport because they didn't want him to make money anywhere and it couldn't break him they couldn't break them inside the ring so they tried to break them with isolation isolation is one of the worst forms of punishment if you've ever felt isolated if you've ever been paralyzed by fear of not being accepted or not like we have to grow past this we can't isolate ourselves because that's how they try to hurt people and we need to take a look around seriously this is a large family this is a bunch of strangers but this is a big family and we're a global family of Muslims because we live our life with morals and principle Allah created us to stand out not fit in and we got to stop trying to fit in the reason why we're honoring Muhammad Aileen is because he stood out and when he passed away may Allah have mercy on him the entire world stopped to pay their respect because he stood out we have to stop trying to make a bubble we have to get out of the Muslim world mentality and get into the world mentality we belong there's no need for us to try and conform to immoral societal norms that's not who we are never isolate ourselves where over two billion strong we are loved in the heavens and on earth and remember that you are blessed Muhammad Ali said I've left the sports pages I've gone on to the front pages I'm being tested by Allah if I pass this test I'll come out stronger than ever I've got no jails no power no government but 600 million Muslims are giving me strength why can't I worship as I want to in America all I want is justice well I have to get there from history and history has proven them right Muhammad Ali is the ultimate competitor he's every athletes favorite athlete he's the goat and for you guys who don't know what that means he's the greatest of all time and not only for what he did inside the ring but because he competed in good works to attain the pleasure of Allah outside the ring stop a challenge for everyone I challenge you to go out and do as many good works as you can I challenge you to go on the journey of self purification to the children I challenge you to be dutiful to your elders to the spouses from husband to wife or from wife to husband I challenge you to create a loving environment in your homes I challenge everyone in their interaction with non-muslims right now everyone else is telling our story but us and it's because of that bubble mentality we have to remember that the prophet muhammad salallahu alaihe wasalam was sent as a mercy to the world not the muslim world to the world I also challenge everyone to stand for truth justice and principle we have to compete and we compete by helping one another Muhammad Ali helped me use my platform and taught me how to shone light shine light into a world filled with darkness we are running this race in life and we have an unknown finish line so we should run it with our chin up high smiling with light all around us and light in our faces we want to finish this race with our hearts as pure that they were born and when we look back we want to be content with the race of life because we left a trail of good works like our dear beloved brother Muhammad Ali ice on it I told you not only were there champions they were also teachers they are teaching us about courage faith and strength brother I salute you thank you [Applause] in some of his fights Muhammad Ali pushed himself to the very limits of physical endurance the Abdullah brothers first came to national prominence when they were fasting the month of Ramadan while enduring the excruciating rigor of National Football League NFL training camp Hamza Abdullah will talk about some of the challenges he overcame as both a Division one college athlete and an NFL player how did he find strength in his faith to fight through not just the physical challenges but perhaps greater mental and emotional ones what were some of the challenges of representation challenges that Ali as the people's champ was ever aware of how are they best handled Hansa Abdullah we welcome you to the stage to further educate and school us on this courage and de space [Applause] ninh assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatu she said educating schools to handle law suit final law the mic is still hot by the way because my brother just killed it you know subhanAllah my mother when I was 5 years old she taught me one thing she said Hamza I want you to love for your brother what you love for yourself I want you to want for your brother what you want for yourself this man right here Hussain Abdullah is my brother and I love him and I love for him what I love for myself [Applause] sewer 7i at 151 says this man Irishman our team My Lord forgive me and my brother accept us into your mercy you are the most merciful of all who show mercy subhanAllah we are brothers to each other we are sisters to each other one of the things that Muhammad Ali taught me to love for your brother what you love for yourself everyone that came in contact with him they felt as though he was their brother so I may not be Muhammad Ali you may not be Muhammad Ali but we have something in common that we're brothers and sisters in faith we're connected at the heart that's why when you need someone you say hey where do I know you from we are connected at the heart Allah has made this connection and we as Muslims unfortunately are not doing that that's why our that's why our Ummah is disenfranchised that's why we're beefing that's why the non-muslims are able to tell our stories because when our brother tells us something we ask all man that guy's tripping that guy prays with his hands to his side that guy flicks his finger in Salah that guy makes traveling salat and does not combine we're bickering over the smallest things because we don't see him as our brother my brother may tell me something he may coach me up he may say something he will say Hamza when you get dressed put your socks on before you put your pants on he's just trying to he's trying to give me some nothing house some some help that's all he's doing it's in my best interest so I don't walk up on stage with my pant leg in my socks it's simple stuff we have to start loving for our brother and sister what we love for ourselves because our enemy is together on one thing and we saw this in America everyone is talking about well I don't vote for Hillary I don't vote for this person I don't vote for that person but the other side was convinced of who they were voting for and now look so as Muslims what we need to understand is until we have the love for each other what we love for ourselves then we can't call ourselves Muslim we can't do it and how can I say that because our prophet sallallahu alayhi assalam said that none of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself so you are out of the fold of Islam if you do not love for me what you love for yourself if you see my son playing and your daughter is playing and I say my shot law maybe they can get married if you have that little bit of ill in your heart because he's a black boy and maybe your desi maybe your Bangladeshi maybe your wife but if you said I don't know then are you really loving for your brother what you love for yourself ask yourself that [Applause] we have to look inside of ourselves be honest with ourselves we cannot lie to a lot and we cannot lie to ourselves the first thing that Muhammad Ali taught me he was true to Allah he never wavered on the fact of who he was it was a Muslim a Muslim in every which way he was a Muslim he feared no man but he feared Allah we have to understand that take that from him take that from my dear brother Muhammad Ali may Allah have mercy on him the one was Allah no that allows with you honestly and everything that we do we're afraid of what someone says I put this picture on but my tires funny what would that sister say about me fear Allah that's what we need to do fear Allah Allah is one what's the worst that can happen they don't like your photo is that the worst that can happen but what's the best thing that can happen if we're one with Allah I stand before you who has missed Allah I have disrespected people all over the globe I've done terrible things yet look where I am today when you are one with Allah Allah will uplift you to Heights that you've never even thought it's you never thought they existed Allah took me out of the fold of the NFL because I was destroying my soul I was destroying my marriage to my wife ELISA I was destroying my home to my children so he removed me from that and he strengthened me with my brother Hussain Abdullah [Applause] Hussein said Hamza let's go for Hajj I said Hussein man it's a 1.5 million dollar deal I need that money he said Hamza we need a law we need a law I promise you it will be okay he promised me hums it will be okay we go for Hajj Allahu Akbar if you have not gone for Hajj if you have stacked some money away and you're reluctant on going for Hajj I plead with you dear brothers and sisters go make the intentions today ask a lot today to send you to Hajj there is no experience like Hajj you will know and understand that the promise of Allah is true I don't know if the promise of Allah is true in my air-conditioning home in Los Angeles California but when you go and you see the signs of Allah when you see Mount Hood you will know that Allah is real when you walk into the Kaaba and you see such an imposing figure you will know that Allah is real when you bow down and all you hear all you hear is blessings in the air you don't even know what that sounds like all you have to do is be Muslim my dear brothers and sisters so Muhammad Ali taught me to be one with Allah be true to Allah the second thing was be true to yourself who are you one thing that we try to neglect the fact is that Muhammad Ali was a black man one thing we try to deny is that empty Haj Mohammed is a black woman another thing we try to deny that Hussain Abdullah is a black man I'm black and I'm proud do not disrespect us by saying I don't see color I see color I'm a black man except that I am a black man she is a black woman he is a black man do not come and say I don't see color we are black we are proud we are Muslim where would its Lomb be where would its long be today in the West in America specifically without the black man you tell me [Applause] I'm waiting for a response you tell me [Applause] we are brothers and sisters we are brothers and sisters when I see you and I say Salaam Aleichem give me my salons when I hug you give me a hug I need it on October 31st 2013 I thought too in my life I thought I was alone how can I be alone when I see this we have this lamb give me my salon Allah is merciful Allah is merciful my dear brothers and sisters Allah is merciful don't ever despair of the mercy of Allah grab hold of that rope meaning of many of us in here may be wavering we're not sure should I wear the hijab should I wear my Coopie should I wear my beard stand strong my brothers and sisters I am with you but more importantly Allah is with you I still am walaikum what often with the Wahiawa [Applause] Oh Masha Allah Masha Allah I'm telling you this is the passion and the spirit of brotherhood I'm telling you Wow so trying a lot again look at it LAN you mean on ahead Oh conehead can you hit bully I hate man you hit bully nasty he is hungry left you'll never believe until you want for your brother what you want for yourself and what's beautiful about that in this tribute is that Muhammad Ali he wanted for us as a brotherhood what he wanted for himself he wanted us to have that courage that strength that faith that action that unapologetic belief in Allah I tell John this was gonna be a good one who hungry they're hungry now what an honor what an honor so Muhammad Ali's oldest daughter Miriam Ali she's a social worker with 15 years of experience and gang prevention and youth development working in the trenches she possesses a special wisdom judicious miss and perspective that are the hard-won fruits of experience one of the things she was able to experience in her father's religious evolution how foundational was faith in all that we do he is the broad outline of his evolution what is the broad outline of his evolution as a Muslim and what aspects of Islam were particularly salient during the different phases of his life how has how have his principles and convictions impacted her life during this talk Miriam will address these questions and share many of the gems that perhaps only she possesses as being a daughter of the champion I daughter in the struggle ladies and gentlemen Miriam Ali [Applause] miletto menara he my Salam alaikum everyone October the hums of X page I didn't want to follow him thank you everyone thank you for Don RIS conference from allowing me to be here today I think I speak on behalf of the Ollie family when we say we're so incredibly honored that you are paying tribute to our father that video was phenomenal y'all got me crying on that video it didn't move to me it was beautiful but I'm okay now you know there's been so much written about my father he's probably the most photographed athlete in the world you know they do documentaries on him and they say the the activists the Muslim the humanitarian the father but actually he was Muslim in all of those aspects of his life and when I thought about today and all the things that have been reported on him and said thank you when I thought about today I wanted to share something a little more personal from father to daughter some of our experiences in many interviews while he was living and also after his passing I get a question what is the most memorable moments that you had with your father and I usually say the same thing every time which a lot of non-muslim Muslims who have interviewed me kind of don't understand this and they they scratch their heads when I say it but I said the most memorable moments is simply praying with my father and talking about el Aslam that simple you know when my father spoke of Islam there was this deep-seated desire to be evolved as a better Muslim it was like their never-ending passion for him in every stage of his life I remember sitting in his study of my sister's can vouch for this he would be at his desk he would have his qur'an's into deep sand Islamic books all around his desk he would call us over to the table have a notepad and notes for us because he wanted us to write down some of the surahs and ayats and hadith with him and then he would talk about how these different stories applied to his life in pivotal moments his professional life in his personal life as well as how he wanted his children to apply them what was beautiful though is that he didn't claim he was perfect and I thought that was pretty cool as a father if I got a little older an age he would confess some of his sins to me I was like oh that's cool you're you're my parent and you're not claiming to be perfect that's great and he would say where he was wrong in life so he would highlight these two DS he was highlight them and he would aura deserves any anything he thought was profound he would highlight them he would under like them underline them he would speak them to Miri or he'll tell me if he was tired during his late stages of Parkinson's I will read them to him so after his memorial service I found this notebook I usually save everything I'm like the family historian out of the pictures of the notes and I found a special notebook on 13 7 13 and 15 years old when I was writing his notes and the very first thing that I had at my notebook connected to why he became a Muslim is sura 30 22 and from his signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the variations of your languages and your colors verily if that are signs for those who know and he said to me Mariam be proud of your language your culture your color Allah made us is all variations you are not a minority to Allah you're going to hear the word minority your whole life this stood out to him because like so many african-americans and you know the Nation of Islam was his first religion the Nation of Islam was a fortunate bridge to true Islam there was no Muslim groups galvanizing and propagating Islam the Muslims black Muslims in this country so the nation was necessary and I and I honor the nation for that but I also did publicly say when he converted to true Islam he said I'm Muslim nation was my beginning but so many African Americans were attracted to Islam because of the equality and justice that it taught as a boy who experienced segregation in Louisville Kentucky saw the dehumanization the violence the oppression the racism of people who look like him and then going to church even though yes those are brothers and sisters but this confused him going to church and seeing that he was worshiping an image that had the same complexion of his cupressus he didn't know how to reconcile this and that's what this line brought to him which brings me to another hadith and there's so many Muslim scholars I was so nervous about doing the disa here and I know you guys are gonna walk up to me correct me if I get this wrong I was like should I say that no prophet muhammad salallahu alaihe wasalam said o mankind your Lord is one and your father is one all you descendants from Adam and Adam was created from Earth he is most honored among you in the sight of God who is most upright no heir of the superior to a non Arab no color person to a white person or a white person to a colored person only through only except for taqwa piety and he highlighted this and it was so funny he was so comical my father he made us laugh all the time every time we would highlight something he really loved my sisters can vouch for this he'll go name that's man-made that's deep read that again it's even the way he described Islam to his children he did it with a lot of humor and he he had us captivated you know he was so charismatic even around the house but he loved to watch himself of course in footage and documented he's like 40s and his 40s and 50s we were watching documentaries and I was able to ask him questions as we were watching the youngest younger Cash's play of Muhammad Ali and I really understood what the civil rights movement was about and the tumultuous time that it presented I said to my father how did you have the courage to speak in this time and say things that so many people were afraid to say where did you get that from and he said once I had real faith in Allah subhana WA Ta'ala I could fear nothing no power no structure no institution no system once he obtained knowledge of knowledge of self he didn't have any problem with publicly proclaiming his allegiance sell Islam he was Muslim first he said in boxing change secondary matter of fact he said boxing is a vehicle to propagate islam he really believed that there was another story he highlighted in my book it said we survive I at eight o you who believe the persistent persistent standing firm for Allah as witness injustice and do not let hatred of people from prevent you from being just be just for that is nearer to righteousness my first conversation with my father you talking about the Vietnam War brother is when he told me what jihad was I'm like you know a young girl I didn't never heard of the word jihad he tried to tell me about his life and explained certain concepts and he didn't go to Vietnam war because like the brother said this was a you war against people that was not oppressing Muslims so he didn't go to that war and he explained first the energy hot and then he explained that jihad after 9/11 again he could barely speak he had Parkinson's but he went on television it gave a public statement that Islam did not condone terrorist attacks terrorism any kind of form nor indiscriminate killings this was not jihad I was so proud of him because I was a little nervous for him speaking at that time his generosity was some another thing where he was so purely Muslim I've seen my father buy people college education he barely knew Homs and this were my family members sometimes I think so twizz we got short into the stage huh but he gave to everyone you know at a time where he had a little financial problems with he got himself back up mashallah he got himself back up but at that time he gave some of his last money to build a message in LA saying he wanted to go to heaven for that [Applause] that leads me to something else he highlighted in the Quran surah 2 ayah 262 those who spend their substance in the cause of Allah and follow not upon their gifts with reminders of the generosity it amazes me how I look on Facebook and see people saying they gave hey look I'm feeding the homeless I'm going my father always taught me when you give you don't brag about giving you don't tell people unless you're fundraising and it's sort of social good but my father never did that anytime people knew about his generosity because others would talk about it but he would never talk about it there's so many characteristics I could go on and on but at the end of the day he wanted to find Islam and everything he tried his best the final characteristic that I just this to me really let my note let me know I just felt my father was such an angel on this earth the way he handled Parkinson's disease absolutely amazing as a social worker in my last year in college I worked at a hospice where I saw people die all the time and I saw how people handled illness some people lost all faith and became very bitter others found peace but my father it's amazing there many stages of Parkinson's he went through all of these stages with a lot of grace not to say he didn't struggle a little and he didn't have a little depression here and there because with Parkinson's comes a little depression but it seems like his faith got stronger and I remember you know me and my father we talk very honestly and openly with each other we were at an event in the event had emptied out and I said that he was shaking a little I said do you think he would be a really good Muslim right now if you didn't have Parkinson's he had hesitated I said you waited too long you hesitated no but he said I rather suffer now and then in the hereafter and [Applause] and some people have said this to they that you were taken aback by that but I understood where they came from there was another story that later on is in his life we talked about el baccarat 155 156 be sure he shall test you with something of fear and hunger in some loss in goods or lives or the fruits of your toil but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere who say when afflicted with calamity to Allah belong to Allah we belong and to him as our return he loved that sewer and he really relied on that in terms of how he dealt with Parkinson's before my father passed 2015 I wrote a poem about how he dealt with Parkinson's and he was the first person I called and after I read on the poem he said you get that poetry stuff for me I said I did daddy I got it from you I said I'm reciting this poem at the Parkinson's unity walk in New York City it's ordered as we raise money for Parkinson's disease and I said I want you to approve this poem being that you taught me so much about poetry I would like to end my talk with this poem it's called pearl I hope you enjoy it what a hero he is to me but more so in the face of adversity lightning speed within square rings turned into slow imbalances while praying for night flight yesteryear spotlight from the Olie shuffle the rope-a-dope fight is now a rope of dopamine battle Parkinson's akin to traversing upstream in a canoe with a leaking hole without a paddle yes it is a struggle but what I admire about my father is his ability not to let symptoms to feed his soul refusing Parkinson's to retreat him into darkness taking its toll throughout disease phases he maintained divine praises to his creator and our witness in the early stages his ability that still raises what powerful fists despite recurrent shaking that shaking reminds me of a famous Cassius Clay quote at the Sonny Liston Chowk I shook up the world yes there you are pearl embedded in the oyster of life protected by your faith and elevated through social stripes standing up for the man to be the man you met efest it politically unrest it you tested all waters until the tides waved your way to whisper in your ears and say you know a lot of humanity now you stand with a walker no vanity now a softer talker if you talk at all but what remains the same is your spiritual sense a presence remaining tall I am so inspired by your choice to be the man I'm sorry I messed up I'm Soros pard well your choice to live the life to the fullest that can be over 30 years of PD riding heavily on your back from your earliest days to your latest you haven't wavered your love of self and your eyes still sparkle like the first day you proclaimed I am the greatest thank you thank you enjoy the conference thank you you Miriam we thank you so much for giving us that insight into his personal life for how we begin to see not only was he a champion of course in the ring and humanitarian and as a philanthropist but that he was a champion as a father educating his children on Quran and hadith I thank you for that I thank you for them [Applause] next we have Rashidah Ali Walsh she is the other daughter another daughter of our peoples champ Muhammad Ali she is a Parkinson's disease advocate and a motivational speaker she's the author of the book I'll hold your hand so you won't fall one of her father's twins daughters Rashidah Ali Wolfe like her twin sister Jamila is heir to her father's boundless energy able to light up the darkest room Rashida will share with us her view of her father's message to the world what would he demand of us during these challenging times how would he want us to live what would he have to say to those who were threatening to undo the already inadequate progress in the area of race relations Rashida is well-prepared to answer these and many other relevant questions ladies and gentlemen Rashidah Ali Walsh [Applause] thank you - Lama alaikum I am deeply honored to stand before you Muslims here tonight my brothers and sisters I would like to thank you man babe who mr. food on time for your contribution to the Muslim community and for giving me and my sisters an opportunity to talk about my dad's life and legacy and how we can all help do our part in keeping his legacy alive my dad's incredible boxing antics has earned him a place in history as one of the most talented and dynamic athletes in the entire world however his true legacy beyond no lies beyond the victories in the ring and the number of trophies and championship belts he is accumulated Heroes comes in all shapes sizes colors and religions that is the most famous figure on the globe and one of the greatest athletes and heroes of our time and he is a Muslim dad dedicated his life he used his fame and his popularity to help others charities uniting people helping bring peace to the world and he inspired people to be better than themselves his spirit encompasses the sense of possibility that he has inspired in all of us if you were blessed to have seen my father in the calm of his daily life you would see that his spirit the genuineness of his heart the warmth of his smile his very gift of himself expressed through countless moments that he shared with his family his friends and even strangers whom he made feel like they were the greatest my dad has inspired us any entire world to be the best version of ourselves which is why I believe he's the ideal candidate to be honored this year in our is convention I would travel with my dad on many occasions and usually we're overwhelmed with mods of people in the streets or in the hotels or at events but one thing I want to share with you about my dad is I was at an event with my dad and we were literally just overwhelmed by crowds of people everybody wanted a picture everybody wanted to shake it and everybody wanted to fix it it was always overwhelmed so a brother in the distance it I Salam alaykoum brother Muhammad and daddy in the midst of all of this stopped and looked at the brother and just smiled it brought him joy to be a Muslim he loves his Muslim brothers and his people he stopped and he turned toward the man and gave him a nice smile like yes my brother since being diagnosed 32 years the Parkinson's it didn't stop my dad from giving to others and campaigning on behalf of those who are less fortunate he took every single opportunity to promote causes he believed in and he actually used his six core values that he exemplified in his life and it's throughout his career confidence conviction dedication giving respect spirituality these values are in direct harmony with what Islam and the teachings hold in high esteem I've met so many admirers who had shared with me their conversion to el Islam inspired by my father he has not only helped the practice of Dawa by handing remember daddy had boxes of pamphlets daddy had boxes of pamphlets of Islamic material and he would hand it to all his fans even people that didn't really care about it if I here to take it he just gave it to you whether you wanted it or not but that was his way of opening people's eyes about Islam and about his religion and he's also helped by the way he lived his life my father's promotion of these values is what makes him worthy of being honored tonight and my father's efforts in living these values is what makes my father in my opinion the greatest of all time I want to share with you a cup of things I I noticed with my dad and interviewer once asked my dad and you and you saw it earlier on the video what a journalist asked Muhammad do you have a bodyguard and then daddy started counting by Kiat like pinnable and then he stopped and he was like I'm just kidding he's like yes I have one bodyguard he has no eyes though he sees he has no ears though he hears he remembers everything with the aid of mine in memory when he wishes to create a thing he just orders it to be and it comes into existence but this order does not convey the words which take the tongue to form like Fallon carry fears he hears the secrets of those on quiet thoughts he stops those whom he chooses that's how la God he is my bodyguard he's your bodyguard he's a supreme why there is no power greater than Allah and the interviewer was shocked he didn't know what he just heard another interviewer asked my dad Muhammad who would you attribute your access to all those successes you've had who would you give credit to and the guy thought he was going to like missing his mom or something or his dad not that the Apapa cash-in mama bird was incredible but daddy gave me a great answer if I had to taste and daddy said my career all my success on my protection all my fearlessness on my victories on my courage everything o to Allah because he he understood that and daddy would always tell us this I loved watching us and he knows that then then we die if there's a heaven I want to see it he knew that is popular and loved if he was on earth daddy always say Don don't care if I'd be poor Joe Frazier dad go God don't care if I became three-time world heavyweight champion but he knew that God really wanted to know while we are here on earth how do we treat each other daddy would always write because iam daddy would say life is a test to see where we would spend our eternal life we just here temporarily daddy would always say let me ask you a hypothetical question one day you're going to get old hairs pulled fall out those keeps going to get his wouldn't get then he's going to fall out here's going to get great your body's going to be tired but when you die your soul and spirit will move on daddy would always ask us if you could commit a crime anything in the world I don't care what it is here on earth and get away with it would you do it and be nobody would say and then he would say God seated Oh [Applause] she gets excited someone's keeping a record by yo deed writing it down and you can't get away oh she got excited when he read Souris he'd take us let me show you something stacks the Quran gonna either read this for me read this all day be in there reading because he got excited sir has moved and excited him because he knew the truth he knew he had the answers not only to daddy have a lot of faith but he also believed in his self incredibly and he didn't let Parkinson's disease to find who he was so I just want to just tell you a quick story about daddy went to see Pacquiao fight and he was in heaven at the MGM Grand in his element was in the fight so excited beside the Parkinson's after the fight we go to a hotel and we're just talking about the fight i'ma tell you how much he believed in myself he goes say you like to fight daddy yeah then he said might take six or seven months I said what might take six seven months I'm making a comeback Oh I said daddy I said two things if you did that one you want to shut the roll one but you'll shock the world twice and two if anybody can pull that off it would be you so in conclusion I'd like to share with you a poem that daddy mentioned in our video earlier today but it means a lot because the journalist asked my dad how would you like to be remembered and how would you like to react now people how would you like people to react to your death and daddy recited the recipe for life I'd like for them to say he picked a few cups of love he took one table full of patients one table spoon of generosity one pint of kindness he took one quart of laughter 1 pinch of concern and then he mixed willingness with happiness he added lots of faith and he stirred it up well then he spread it over a span of a lifetime and he served it to each and every deserving person he met that quote that quote is how he wanted us to remember him and it's also etched into his gravestone in Louisville Kentucky where he lies my family and I are humbly grateful to Ras for this most incredibly opportunity to speak here before you tonight I'm especially grateful for an immense aid for taking care of daddy I just I just want to just quickly say the first time I met him that a man made was the worst day of my life and the best day of my life the first time I met a man made is when he came to the hospital and my dad was sick in Scottsdale Arizona with my family present he came there and he started reciting Quran and I couldn't stop crying because I knew daddy would love this wreath he spoke for about an hour and a half straight reciting Allah Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar lay he lay in Allah over and over for an hour and a half I even asked him and say do you want some water nope ok and he kept going and I said what a beautiful send-off and a blessing that God has bestowed upon daddy's to be to come home to such beautiful words as the Quran I turned I turned to my sisters and I said [Applause] of it I want that to be me one day thank you [Applause] [Laughter] [Applause] [Applause] they allow forever reward this family for sharing the gym of their private time with their father with us Mohammed Ali was a great inspiration to all of us now that he is gone from this physical plane will he leave will he live on within our hearts as we examine his vast contributions how can we translate the themes that defined his life into a legacy into a lasting legacy how can we replicate in the context of our lives the faith courage love charity resistance sacrifice and triumph over Vice into great virtues that Ally's exemplified immense aid will endeavour to answer these questions during this time Amen Vaid as many of you already know he is the co-founder and the board of trustees and senior faculty member as a tuna College the first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the u.s. he's the co-founder of New Brunswick Islamic Center in New Brunswick New Jersey he's the co-founder of Masjid al Islam in New Haven Connecticut co-founder of national Aslam in Oakland California he speaks in writes on a wide range of topics and has become a voice of conscience for American Muslims as well as people of other faiths he is regularly included as one of the Western world's most influential Muslim scholars in the Muslim 500 an annual ranking edited by John Esposito and Ibrahim Callen he is also one of the signatories of an a common word between us and a common word between us and you an open letter by Islamic scholars to Christian leaders that calls for peace and mutual understanding he presented the u.s. secretary-general with a declaration in support of the Paris mean agreement under the UN Framework I have the honored pleasure of introducing to you not only the email of these masajid but our personal email our teacher our guide our leader our champion mmm they shocked me leg Armand raheem alhamdulillahi rabbil alameen also that was salam ala sayyidal mursaleen sayidina muhammad by the ally he was happy he was said in Testament athira assalamu alaykum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh alhamdulillah before I go any further I just want to invite you one more time - not until I finish to acknowledge the incredible wisdom humour passion strength humanity that has been shared on this stage this evening by this beautiful collection of african-american men and women hams abdullah hussein abla sister Escada aisha prime we are after tonight I shall prime time if he has Muhammad our Olympic champion Maryum Ali Rashidah Ali and Jamila Ali let's give it up brothers and sisters stand up and give it up ahem duty left allahu akbar allahu akbar al hamdulillah this was worth the price of the ticket reviving the Islamic spirit so I want someone you know people like to tweet I want someone to tweet out that my spirit was revived when I listened to those brothers and sisters who were given a stage by the I RI s [Applause] tweet that you that's how we used to tweet it was a safer and saner world the only tweet I knew about was the one petite at was trying to get his hands on the Tweety Bird I thought I thought would attack and there's a brother out there somewhere named Afzal Hussein he's a poet he spent time with Muhammad Ali and his dhawan Devers here in Toronto so wherever he is if you run into him give him some love because He loves Muhammad Ali and he loves the family of Muhammad Ali so we just want to acknowledge that faith there clap for brother ups of Hussein and some doing that and you know how there are so many ups all hussein's out there you will be amazed you will be amazed how many people Ali spent a shaky Asser with shakers in Boston family family family shaky a surf at me his wife is from Ecuador so I was visiting him in Boston I have a picture he said Muhammad Ali was in Ecuador prayer time came he asked all these dignitaries and officiate Oh from the Ecuadorian state department of or its equivalent where's the mosque this is there's only one mosque it's in a house he said take me to that house I have to pray he went to the house he prayed he took a picture with the father was the Imams daughter that young lady will grow up to become Sheikh yes sir family's wife and they showed me the picture of Muhammad Ali in the house in Quito holding this young five six year old girl in his arms who's she has her family's wife there are thousands if not hundreds of thousands of stories concerning the lives that Muhammad Ali touched Ali had faith this session in your book is a faith resistance Dawa love faith resistance Dawa love the foundation was faith and that faith as his daughter Miriam mentioned it started with the Nation of Islam we have with us the representative of Minister Louis Farrakhan Minister Akbar Muhammad is somewhere up here where you have minister Akbar stand up so the people can show you some love [Applause] faith is nurtured and Ally's faith was first nurtured by his first teacher the Honorable Elijah Muhammad let the record show that and it was nurtured subsequently by many other teachers most prominent of them in memoir of the deen muhammad let the night let the record show that as we pay tribute to muhammad ali let us also recognize his teachers and let us recognize that one of the reasons so many people are going off the rails today is because they claim faith but they don't have a teacher they don't have someone someone whom they are responsible to they don't have someone who they can look to as a paragon paragon of wisdom and understanding who have over the course of long decades nurtured their own personal faith come through trials and tribulations and then have passed on that experience to shape and nurture the faith of their disciples that is an integral part of what it means to be a Muslim brothers and sisters and that's something we have to get back to if anything we've come ras full circle started 15 years ago right here but right here the whole kit and caboodle the the conference the bazaar the masala everything was right here in this car in this hall now the hall can't hold everybody but one thing it started with it started with faith faith of some young people who believed that they could make a difference in the world but they had teachers and they were faithful to their teachers and look where we are today brothers and sisters don't separate the two don't separate the two because it's very important at least the two faith and leadership faith and leadership one of the greatest testimonies of faith is the humility that adverts and one of the greatest inculcate errs of humility is the ability to humble yourself before another human being and one of the characteristics that's far too dominant in the lives of too many Muslims they can't humble themselves before anyone and that's why it's so easy for their fingers to do the walking not in the yellow pages some of you don't even recognize that reference vote on a keyboard on a smart phone in a dumb hand or an iPad or computer as opposed to stepping back and asking their teacher should I post this should I tweet this should I retweet this should I say this or should I humble myself be quiet and think about it let it marinate for a day or two we need to get back to basics brothers and sisters one of the basics of faith is that it is rooted in meaning faded faith is rooted in meaning and one thing I can say all of us have in common because we come from the same kind of neighborhoods sorta kinda in a sense and that is we learn what the Quran means before we learn to recite the Quran that's very important that's very important because ours Lam was shaped by meaning before it was shaped by sounds well it hums Abdullah spoke he spoke from a wealth of meaning that shape what Islam meant to him for sister Maryam Ali spoke and recited all those verses in English those those verses shape what it means to be a Muslim she could recite them in Arabic you might be might not be with perfect as we'd but what does it mean to be able to recite it when it doesn't shape your heart when it doesn't mold your consciousness when it doesn't uplift you and give you the power to stand before the trials and tribulations of life like we find today we have people who are memorized the Quran from cover to cover and they're scared because they don't know what it means they don't know what those words mean and if they know what those words mean they'd be like Muhammad Ali they'd be a saint no brother you saying all these are Saints talk for luck holly was flawed so was Homer Smith he's dr. Jack the see these these young men they went to college cuz they listened to Muhammad Ali they heard him say one day go to college get some knowledge stay down - you are through if they made penicillin out of molded bread they might make something out of you [Applause] so they they went to college and they read a book they probably read in elementary school called the lilies of the field at Homer Smith the hero of the story was an african-american wanderer who happened upon a group of European nuns not European as in European descent American on these ladies from Germany and they were trying to build a church in the middle of nowhere and they didn't know how to do it to make a long story short Homer Smith built the church for them with his own hands and Homer he was a drifter he wasn't married he was he didn't have he had a checkered past not so checkered he wasn't a hardcore gangster or nothing like that but he had some skeletons in the closet let us say but when he finished building that church one of the nuns was an artist she painted on the wall of the church a picture of Homer Smith with a halo over his head and they called him Saint Homer but they gave him on I think the Latin name of Homer or a homer Oishi or something I don't know but they anointed him as a saint Homer Smith wasn't perfect but he was used by God to do his work Muhammad Ali was not perfect but he was used by God to do the work of God and God says about the people he uses and who accept that graciously Ella in only Ya Allah that ho when I lay him well at me is a noon and levena a maneuver can we otaku n-- verily those who are beloved by Allah those who are chosen by Allah those who allah has chosen despite their faults or shortcomings to do his work in the world those he uses to touch the hearts of all others to expand the hearts of others to breathe and infuse life into the hearts of others there will be no fear on them nor shall they grieve those who believe sincerely and levena am anew well can we at the coat and they are mindful of their Lord Muhammad Ali has sincere faith and he was mindful of his Lord and everything he did and that's why we are celebrating his life today that's why he touched so many lives that's why at the height of Islamophobia his memories could shut the whole machine down for a week shut it down so you see brothers and sisters it's not about always being the most euro date being the most sophisticated it's not about having the ability to analyze the poetry of Nevada or the thought of in the Arabi sometimes it's about simple basic things simple things like charity and faith and taking time for all folks taking time for children now that's something these ladies they'll tell you all stories all day all night how much their father loved children I'll he loved some children I'll he loved children I'll give you a small example of his charity and his love for children rolled into one he was once fed it with the other living heavyweight champions at that time Floyd Patterson George Forman Joe Frazier and they got a ring this ring was worth many thousands of dollars Ali as he was walking off the stage he saw a little girl in a wheelchair he took the ring off his finger he went up to the girl he put the ring in her hand closed her hand over the ring and just walked away see those things didn't mean anything Tolly this world didn't mean anything to Holly by entering happiness into the heart of a child meant something to him taking time for the poor and the downtrodden meant something to him so brothers and sisters as we remember I leave don't just talk about his courage try to grab hold of a handful of that courage and put it in your heart as the challenges of the new year await us we're not going to be called on most of us to stand before a firing squad not even in Trump's America highly unlikely or what did I least faith lead him to say he said if they put me before a firing squad I'm going to hold on to my beliefs I'm going to hold on to my belief take some of that courage and put it in your heart take some of that charity and put it in your heart there are people they'll point to a leo Ali's head the white man's the devil he might have said that at one point in his life and there's there's a commentary that goes with that phrase but we won't get into all of that there's some tough fear now while he was saying it Angelo Dundee a white man was his trainer you see we're not going into that just saying there's some extra Jesus that goes with that statement but when he heard at a large gala maybe something like this in New York City there were a group of old people who are going to be put out into the cold because their senior citizens home was going to be shut down because they couldn't pay off the mortgage is going into foreclosure and they were going to be put out into the street a legion is it didn't just shed a crocodile tear for those people shed a few code token tears and go on with his life he said take me to that place so they took him to that place and he asked he saw the old folks there he asked how much do they need to save this place they said they need $100,000 Ali wrote a check for $100,000 on the spot you know what kind of you know what kind of old folks home him that was it was a home for Jewish senior citizens he didn't care if they were Georgian tile muslim-christian he was concerned that some old folks were going to be put out into the cold that was his concern not the color of their skin not the creed they professed but the common bond of humanity that they shared with him this is why a leak has such a long shadow and our inability in many instances to even come close to that to come close to our ability to even begin to challenge our prejudices is so so as why so many of us it's like we're living on the equator on the day of the summer the first day of spring there's no shop for any object at that place at that time brothers and sisters we have to be people of faith when they said all the people are gathering against Ali as a stated the climate was in this climate the climate was in the climate where you had literally millions of Muslims there is a Nation of Islam but the the millions of Muslims the hundred the the thousands of months they didn't exist but in that climate when they said to ally that climate as was mentioned a climate of assassination many of us we've grown up our childhood has not been defined by the assassination of someone our own age Muhammad Ali's childhood to a certain extent and the family can correct me if I'm wrong data experts I'm the student was defined by the murder of someone born the same year he was born a young man by the name of Emmett Till who was murdered in Mississippi that's something that stayed with young Muhammad Ali then shortly before he was to defeat Sonny Liston james Meredith or Medgar Evers rather was killed in 1963 after he won his title as was stated Malcolm X was assassinated shortly thereafter dr. Martin Luther King jr. was assassinated shortly thereafter Robert Kennedy Kennedy was assassinated shortly thereafter but when they said in that climate that all the hosts are gathering against you and Latino Colin of mon-sol Nanette Akiyama Rock'em Shalom Cesaro home Amana walk Harlow husband Allah WA Nimal wakil Ali was like those people described in the Quran when they people said all the hosts are gathering against you fear them it only increased their faith they said God suffices us what an excellent one to depend trust our warfare to Muhammad Ali said God suffices me you heard it God is my bodyguard I fear no man God is my bodyguard God suffices me husband Allahu when near man joaquin brothers and sisters that's the faith we need faith resistance Ali as we all know resistant and unjust war and he didn't just didn't resist by going to a few demonstrations and then going home and eating some fried chicken in a comfortable apartment he resisted by giving up his title and giving up the money and giving up the fame and becoming public enemy number one in the eyes of many that's how he resisted but he stood on principle he stood on principle some of you saw a picture of him sitting on a pile of cash cash sitting on the cash if we changed his name Cassius Clay sitting on a pile of cash how many of you remember that picture he stopped sitting and he stood up and when he stood up he gave up the cash but in giving up the cash he gained the world and giving up the cash he gained the admiration of future generations and giving up the cash he left an indelible mark on all of our hearts some things are worth more than money and that's what all he showed us through his resistance some things are worth more than money and if you're not willing to give up the money and its equivalent equivalence then you are never going to be great you might keep the money but if you're not willing should circumstances required to give up the money not going to be great it doesn't work that way Ali was great but he was great for well defined well known reasons stand up brothers and sisters we have unjust Wars all over the world we have an unjust system producing those unjust wars we have people profit by making materials that murder people in mass weapons of mass destruction and the business requires that they are used and to the great great great shame and sadness we have far too many Muslims willing as they sell them to us so we can use them on our brothers and sisters sell them to us so we can bomb our fellow Muslims in Iraq sell us to sell them to us so we can bomb our fellow Muslims in Yemen sell them to us so we can bomb our fellow Muslims here there and everywhere we have to say no no no no one should be dying so people can profit off of their death for no clearly-defined political objectives Muhammad Ali's resisted a war that culminated who is the culminating act of the Vietnam War the bombing of Laos 280 million tons let me say that again try to wrap your head around that I need to wrap my head around the time so 280 million tons of explosive ordnance dropped on Laos to Brook cut off the Ho Chi Minh Trail which obvious didn't happen in other words those weapons were essentially being dumped we don't care of 80 million unexploded cluster bomblets still exists there maiming people to this day they were dumped on that land to reduce the inventory so the factory could keep on turning it's the same game today we as Muslims like Muhammad Ali Ali said no we should say no we say no no no no more of this madness none of this insanity none of this nonsense and conclusion the love show me little love we could do the Donny Hathaway for a flag where's the lung he said was mine or mine to the end of time there's the love back there brothers and sisters Muhammad Ali had a heart of gold and a spirit to match he had a heart of gold Muhammad Ali loved people he loved his people he knew who his people were know who your people are know who your people are and then love your people love your people with all your heart and all your soul because until you love your people the world won't love you let me say that again until you love your people the world won't love you [Applause] how could a world not Muslims when we have so little love for each other when we show the world how much we love each other the world will love us Muhammad Ali hidden and put that love of the people in his heart that love is shut down the world for a week he didn't put that love in the hearts of the people Allah put that love in the hearts of the people and just as he did if idly he could do it for you and me in el Edina Avenue why I'm in a sauna hot Sayaji I do let him wash man or would that those who believe and do righteous deeds Allah will place love for them in the hearts of the people may Allah bless us to be a community of faith in the novena a man who those who believe and a community of righteous deeds well I'm a Salah hat ml law through His grace and his power put love in our hearts and put love for us in the hearts of the people as he put love in the heart of Muhammad Ali and he put love in the hearts of the people for Muhammad Ali ceremony thank you thank you so much mm babe that'll all continue to elevate your rank and in Neuville your face I may Allah give us the courage in the Yaak team to follow the advice the teachings in the footsteps of our teachers algo billahi min ash-shaytani r-rajim bismillahi r-rahmani r-rahim allahu mah bresh motika attina 'man camel and we are clean and solder and worse and worse and volition in becker and her husband philemon vhat been hacchyan vato botanist oh hang photo button Kabbalah notes which I had at an Indian mode Umatilla do not fear attending in he said what a man and men inaudible when se Bergman agenda to Firdos Ileana Varela tsukuda another irelia which he can't kill him yeah Allah ask that you give us a complete and perfect face after which there is no disbelief give us a complete and perfect certainty in you after which there is no doubt and make us forever firm upon sirat al-mustaqim Ya Allah we ask you that you bless the soul of our leader our teacher and our champ Muhammad Ali yeah although we ask the to pardon him that you elevate his rank Europe me that you expand his grave and that you fill it with life as he filled our lives with light yeah although we asked that you blessing that you guide and that you protect his family and his lineage until the end of time yeah although we asked it to envelop him in your love and your kindness in your generosity and that you build around him and his family and his lineage to the end of time of fortress of your protection may they and us say as he said Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar Allahu Akbar and made that statement yah Toby ring true in our hearts and in our actions that we may stand firm and upright against tyranny that we may stand firm and upright upon truth and righteousness oh Allah increase us and his benefits caused us Europe B to be courageous as you granted him courage although we asked you that we may benefit from his legacy that we may stand in his light and that we may spread that light blessed us to stand strong against all this belief bless us to stand strong against unjust war blessed us to have triumph over our own vices although we ask that you smile upon Muhammad Ali as you have blessed us with his beautiful smile give us strength o Allah and bestow your grace and your mercy upon him and upon his family and us o Allah build bless us to build upon his gifts bless us yellow B through him and calls us to love each other as true brothers and sisters in this Deen and bless us o Allah with the true humanity that you blessed him with and love us o Allah as you blessed him with sincerity although we ask that you bless our champion bless them to live on in our hearts bless him to live on through our actions make us charitable as you made him charitable and know Allah make us proud make oh Allah we ask that you be proud of us and you were proud of him allahumma salli ala sayyidina mawlana muhammad wa ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim sabaha no radical ability amazed - salamun ala l-mursaleen well hamdulillahi rabbil alameen allahumma Ameen han min-koo assalamo alaikom rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh you

Channel: rismultimedia

Views: 16,683

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Keywords: ris, islam, ristalks, 'ris, talks', muhammad, inspiration, motivation, toronto, reviving the islamic spirit, conference, convention, islamic conference, youth, muhammad ali

Id: Wr9TJ0_7eQw

Length: 112min 51sec (6771 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 17 2017