Muhammad Ali will have a Muslim funeral service.
The world begins two days of mourning for Muhammad Ali this Thursday, when the great boxer will be honored with a Muslim funeral before receiving a final farewell in an interfaith service; Ali, one of the greatest figures of the 20th century for his boxing prowess and opposition to the Vietnam War, died on Friday in a hospital in Arizona, United States, at the age of 74.
Reuters The world begins two days of mourning for Muhammad Ali this Thursday, when the great boxer will be honored with a Muslim funeral before receiving a final farewell in an interfaith service.
Ali, one of the transcendent figures of the 20th century for his boxing prowess and opposition to the Vietnam War during the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, died Friday in a hospital in Arizona, United States. He was 74 years old.
Around 15 people are expected for the jenazah, the Arabic word for funeral, scheduled at Freedom Hall in Ali's hometown of Louisville. This was the location where Ali defeated Willi Besmanoff on November 29, 1961.
Ali and his family planned the funeral for 10 years, ensuring it would honor the Muslim faith.
Born Cassius Clay, he shocked American society by changing his name to Muhammad Ali in 1964 when he joined the Nation of Islam. In the 1970s he converted to Sunni Islam, the largest denomination among Muslims. Later he embraced Sufism, a mythical school of the faith.
He was admired worldwide and gave American Muslims a hero they could share with the rest of the nation.