Floating like a Butterfly to the great Beyond

The "greatest" returns to The ultimate Greatest.

The "greatest" has passed on. The unavoidability of death does not in any way reduce the loss of this great man and the nostalgia evoked by rumination of his memorable life. Being crowned Sportsperson of the 20th Century and having been the most recognized sports figure in history, does not capture the exceptionality of this global icon. In the apt words of boxing great, Manny Pacquiao; "Boxing benefited from Muhammad Ali's many talents but not nearly as much as mankind benefited from his humanity."

Morphing into a Butterfly

He became the personification of "black pride", the outspoken voice of integrity and though seemingly outrageous, he was actually the embodiment of humility. He thus became a champion inside the ring (beating the likes of Liston, Frazier and Foreman) and a hero beyond the ring (when he refused to fight in an unjustified war against Vietnam). Ali was then prevented from boxing at the pinnacle and prime of his athletic resplendence when his "greatest" years were denied to him. It was nonetheless his incomparable ethics, extra-ordinary technique and his audacity towards standing up for his beliefs that propelled him towards the legendary stature that became Muhammad Ali. That rare person who actually practiced what he preached, who triumphed over tribulations, transcended the boxing ring and became sports' first real superstar. In reality, he became greater than his legend.

In honoring Muhammad Ali as The Greatest Athlete of the Century, USA Today's Jon Sareceno then wrote; "For nearly five decades this man has, in one arena or another, commanded our attention... and we are still mesmerized. He is a come-to-life definition of his Muslim namesake, Muhammad "worthy of praise" and Ali "most high".

Earliest Memories and Principled Support

As an ardent sports fan and a South African growing up through the most brutal part of the apartheid era, "black" heroes were made to be rare. Conscientious South Africans then never supported the racist "all white" South African teams and proudly stuck to the principle of "no normal sport in an abnormal society"'. We therefore tended to support West Indies in cricket and Brazil in soccer. What great joy Gary Sobers and Pele gave us.

When the sports heroes were Muslims, we felt even greater pride. I still recall those historic moments subsequent to that when Abdul Kareem Jabbaar of the LA Lakers was Most Valuable Player for the NBA in 71,72,73 and 74; Imran Khan lifted the World Cup Cricket trophy for Pakistan in Australia in 1994; when Hakeem Olajuwan led the Houston Rockets to basketball glory in 94-95, when Abdul Aziz Benazi led France to the 5 Nations Cup victory in 97; when Moroccans Hicham El-Gharouj and Khalid Khanouli broke the mile and marathon world records respectively; or when Zainedine Zaidan captained his team to World Cup victory in 1998 in France; all moments of glory embedded forever in our minds and fondly cherished in our hearts. So much so, that when families and friends gather to reminisce about the "good old days", these moments of sporting glory are often part of those memories.

The Ali Legacy

Yes, he said "I am the champ" and that was no lie. He said "I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee" and that was no lie. He outfoxed the Hare (Patterson), thumped the Bear (Liston), taught Ernie Terrel his Muslim name, gave us the Thriller in Manila (with Frazier) and the Rumble in the Jungle (with Foreman) in Zaire. Ah! How emotions were moved when he spoke, when he fought, when he won. How hurt we were when he lost. And yes, we remember how our heart danced with joy when he did the 'Ali shuffle'. His legacy is integrated into part of our collective history for all time. When we are located in history, it may one day be said that we lived at the time of Muhammad Ali.

Ali in the spotlight for over 50 years

Ali has remained in the spotlight for over 50 years with dignity, panache and flair. In those five decades that he has commanded our attention he gave us athleticism, artistry, accomplishment, alpha-star appeal and an ambassadorship for sports and Islam. Over 30 years after his last fight, he remained the most recognizable and adored person.

Global humanitarian ambassador for humanity to humanity

His famous opponent, George Foreman told the BBC on the passing of Ali; "Part of me is gone. Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest human beings I have ever met. No doubt he was one of the best people to have lived in this day and age."

Appearing at the 'Muhammad Ali World Healing Project' in 1997, Muhammad Ali said:

"I wish people would love everybody else the way that they love me. I hope I can encourage people to show the same love and respect for each other. If so, it would be a better world."

Hosting Ali in Cape Town

I had the privilege of hosting Muhammad Ali at Masjid-ul-Quds in Cape Town and honored with the task of introducing him to the congregation. Here was my sporting hero and a hero to so many people all over the world. He was by then (1994) an enlarged shadow of his former self yet he was considered the person that people worldwide would most like to meet.

When recently asked if he was "the greatest", Ali replied; "I ain't the greatest. Only Allah is the greatest. I gave myself a job. I work for Allah".

Indeed you did Ali, indeed you did, much more than all the sermons I could ever give in all the mosques. You have been used and abused, but be rest assured that someday when I sit with my grandchildren, God-willing, hearing them talk about their sporting heroes, I'll tell them of Muhammad Ali, the greatest sportsperson of all time that lived in our days. I'll say it with pride and without fear of contradiction.

Yes, My heart will always dance when I see the 'Ali shuffle' and I'll feel a knot in my throat and a tear in my eye whenever I hear your name ... Ali ! Ali ! Ali !