A leading Muslim scholar has esteemed Muhammad Ali as "a gift to his people, his religion, his coutry and the world." The traditional Muslim funeral service marks the beginning of two days of memorial services.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/D.Cummings
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An estimated 16,000 people packed the Freedom Hall arena in Louisville, Kentucky for a traditional Muslim funeral service for iconic American boxer and civil rights activist Muhammad Ali, marking the beginning of two days of memorial ceremonies.
"We welcome the Muslims, we welcome the members of other faith communities, we welcome the law enforcement community. We welcome our sisters, our elders, our youngsters," prominent US Muslim scholar Imam Zaid Shakir told those in attendance.
"All were beloved to Muhammad Ali," Shakir added.
The brief service was part of Ali's plan, devised years before his death last week at the age of 74. Ali wanted a message of inclusion to be delivered "and he planned it to be a teaching moment," said Shakir.
"He was a gift to his people, his religion, his country, and ultimately, to the world. Ali was an unapologetic fighter for the cause of black people in American," said leading Muslim scholar Sherman Jackson.
"Ali was the people's champion, and champion he did the cause of his people," Jackson added.
Muhammad Ali: Portraits of a master
Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. In 2015, a Berlin gallery hosted an exhibition featuring photos of the boxing legend. The portraits capture a superstar at the height of his prowess.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
Larger than life
From August 15 to October 10, 2015, the Camera Work gallery in Berlin exhibited some of the most arresting images of a man who deserved the title superhero. This picture of Muhammad Ali was taken in Chicago in 1966 by German Thomas Hoepker, one of Ali's favorite photographers.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
The martyrdom of Muhammad
Carl Fischer created this image of Ali in 1967 for the cover of "Esquire" magazine. It's based on the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian motif from Italian renaissance painting. In 1967, with the Vietnam war raging, Ali refused to be drafted into the US Army, saying "No Viet Cong ever called me nigger." For that, he was chastised by parts of mainstream white America.
Image: Carl Fischer
Pop punch
In 1964, Harry Benson photographed Cassius Clay, as Ali was still known, meeting The Beatles in Miami. Even early on it was clear that the boxer's stardom would transcend sports. Ali arguably became boxing's first pop icon. Here he is taking out all of the Fab Four with one playful blow.
Image: Harry Benson
In the ring
This is arguably the most famous image of Ali ever taken in the ring, showing him just after knocking out Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine in 1965 in the second bout between the two fighters. Neil Leifer was the photographer in the right place at the right time, and captured Ali's ferocious side.
Image: Neil Leifer
Power of prayer
Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali upon coverting to Islam in 1965. In the late 1960s, he was associated with civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and was always very public about his faith. Thomas Hoepker took this picture of Ali praying in the ring in London in 1966.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
The show must go on
Ali never missed an opportunity to play to a crowd, and even his training sessions were public events attracting adoring spectators. Peter Angelo Simon snapped this image of Ali skipping rope in 1974. That year, Ali defeated George Foreman to regain the heavyweight title in one of the greatest fights ever, known as "the Rumble in the Jungle."
Image: Peter Angelo Simon
Picture perfect
After "greatest," one of Ali's favorite adjectives to describe himself was"pretty." He never tired of pointing out that his face did not bear the signs of damage that those of lesser boxers did. Much of his vanity was play-acted, but his appearance was undeniably important to Ali. Thomas Hoepker took this shot of him in a Chicago barber shop.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
Blood, sweat and tears
Especially early in his career, Ali made things look easy in the ring, but his remarkable skills were the result of long hours put in at the gym. This Image, shot by Thomas Hoepker in Chicago in 1966, not only conveys some of the history of the sport but also suggest the solitary hours Ali put in to become the best in his game.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
Master at work
The exhibition "Muhammad Ali" made clear that the boxer was very much in control during photo shoots, and realized how photography could augment his fame. Photographers said working with Ali was incredibly easy because he understood the medium so well. The subject of this Thomas Hoepker image is not just Ali, but Ali and photography.
Image: Thomas Hoepker
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The three-time world heavyweight champion died of "septic shock due to unspecific natural causes," a family spokesman said on Saturday. Ali suffered from Parkinson's disease for years, and had previously been hospitalized several times in recent years.
A funeral procession on Friday is expected to pass by places in the city that were significant to iconic boxer, including his childhood home, the Ali Center, the Center for African American Heritage and Muhammad Ali Boulevard.
Later on Friday, a private burial service will be held at the city's cemetery, with special guests former President Bill Clinton and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in attendance.
