Editing Muhammad Ali (section)

====Conversion to Sunni Islam====
In Hauser's biography ''Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times'', Ali stated that he was not a Christian as he thought the idea of God having a son sounded wrong and did not make sense to him, stating, "God don't beget; man begets". However, he still believed that even good Christians or good Jews could receive God's blessing and enter heaven as he stated, "God created all people, no matter what their religion". He also stated, "If you're against someone because he's a Muslim that's wrong. If you're against someone because he's a Christian or a Jew, that's wrong".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hauser |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6aaV0p8jaeUC&q=beget |title=Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times |year=1992 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-671-77971-9 |language=en |access-date=July 24, 2023 |archive-date=October 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231031224606/https://books.google.com/books?id=6aaV0p8jaeUC&q=beget#v=snippet&q=beget&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT BOXING CHAMPION MUHAMMAD ALI, A BLACK MUSLIM, ATTENDS THE SECT'S SERVICE TO HEAR ELIJAH MUHAMMAD... - NARA - 556247.jpg|thumb|Ali attending a [[Saviours' Day]] celebration in 1974]]

In a 2004 autobiography, Ali attributed his conversion to mainstream [[Sunni Islam]] to [[Warith Deen Muhammad]], who assumed leadership of the Nation of Islam upon the death of his father Elijah Muhammad and persuaded the Nation's followers to become adherents of Sunni Islam. He said some people did not like the change and stuck to Elijah's teachings, but he admired it, and so left Elijah's teachings and became a follower of Sunni Islam.<ref name = "Soul of a Butterfly 85">{{cite book |title=The Soul of a Butterfly |first1=Muhammad |last1=Ali |first2=Hana Yasmeen |last2=Ali |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=85 |year=2013}}</ref>

Ali had gone on the [[Hajj]] pilgrimage to [[Mecca]] in 1972, which inspired him in a similar manner to Malcolm X, meeting people of different colors from all over the world giving him a different outlook and greater [[Spirituality|spiritual]] awareness.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.emel.com/article?id=109&a_id=1722&c=32 |title=Muhammed Ali's Pilgrimage to Makkah (''sic'') |magazine=[[Emel (magazine)|Emel]] |issue=17 |date=February 2006 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |archive-date=September 14, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160914052923/http://www.emel.com/article?id=109&a_id=1722&c=32 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1977, he said that, after he retired, he would dedicate the rest of his life to getting "ready to meet God" by helping people, charitable causes, uniting people and helping to make peace.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://mashable.com/2016/06/04/muhammad-ali-retirement-video/ |title=Muhammad Ali had a thought-provoking response when asked about his retirement plans |website=[[Mashable]] |last=Bryan |first=Chloe |date=June 4, 2016 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910021714/http://mashable.com/2016/06/04/muhammad-ali-retirement-video/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He went on another Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in 1988.<ref name="timesofindia">{{cite news |last=Rajeev |first=K R |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Muhammad-Alis-visit-was-Kozhikodes-knockout-moment/articleshow/52597630.cms |title=Muhammad Ali's visit was Kozhikode's knockout moment |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=June 5, 2016 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |archive-date=June 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610005305/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kozhikode/Muhammad-Alis-visit-was-Kozhikodes-knockout-moment/articleshow/52597630.cms |url-status=live }}</ref>

After the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001, he stated that "Islam is a [[religion of peace]]" and "does not promote [[terrorism]] or killing people", and that he was "angry that the world sees a certain group of Islam followers who caused this destruction, but they are not real Muslims. They are [[Extremism|racist fanatics]] who call themselves Muslims." In December 2015, after the [[November 2015 Paris attacks]], he stated that "True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so-called Islamic [[jihadists]] goes against the very tenets of our religion", that "We as Muslims have to stand up to those who use Islam to advance their own personal agenda", and that "political leaders should use their position to bring understanding about the religion of Islam, and clarify that these misguided murderers have perverted people's views on what Islam really is."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/muhammad-ali-face-real-islam-160606040559103.html |title=Muhammad Ali: The face of 'real Islam' |publisher=[[Al Jazeera Arabic|Al Jazeera]] |date=June 6, 2016 |access-date=September 4, 2016 |archive-date=February 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217133837/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/muhammad-ali-face-real-islam-160606040559103.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

He also developed an interest in [[Sufism]], which he referenced in his autobiography, ''[[The Soul of a Butterfly]]''.<ref name="Soul of a Butterfly" /><ref name="CNN Lane 2016">{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/28/sport/muhammad-ali-five-things-boxing/ |title=Muhammad Ali: Five things you never knew about the boxing legend |work=CNN |date=April 28, 2016 |access-date=November 18, 2016 |archive-date=November 19, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161119182246/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/04/28/sport/muhammad-ali-five-things-boxing/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Telegraph March 2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2016/03/02/family-faith-and-magic-tricks-my-40-year-friendship-with-muhamma/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220110/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2016/03/02/family-faith-and-magic-tricks-my-40-year-friendship-with-muhamma/ |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Family, faith and magic tricks: My 40-year friendship with Muhammad Ali |work=The Telegraph |date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> According to Ali's daughter, Hana Yasmeen Ali, who co-authored ''The Soul of a Butterfly'' with him, Ali was attracted to Sufism after reading the books of [[Inayat Khan]], which contain Sufi teachings.<ref name="On Being June 2016">{{cite news |url=http://www.onbeing.org/blog/omid-safi-muhammad-ali-unapologetically-black-unapologetically-muslim/8735 |title=Muhammad Ali: Unapologetically Black, Unapologetically Muslim |work=[[On Being]] |date=June 9, 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220165249/http://www.onbeing.org/blog/omid-safi-muhammad-ali-unapologetically-black-unapologetically-muslim/8735 }}</ref><ref name="Beliefnet Hana Yasmeen Ali interview">{{cite news |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/islam/2005/02/muhammad-alis-new-spiritual-quest.aspx? |title=Muhammad Ali's New Spiritual Quest |work=[[Beliefnet]] |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=December 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220230116/http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/islam/2005/02/muhammad-alis-new-spiritual-quest.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

Muhammad Ali received guidance from Islamic scholars such as [[Grand Mufti of Syria]] Al Marhum Al Sheikh [[Ahmed Kuftaro]], [[Hisham Kabbani]], Imam [[Zaid Shakir]], [[Hamza Yusuf]], and Timothy J. Gianotti, who planned his funeral.<ref name="Timothy Gianotti - The Imam whose on Muhammad Ali's last days and funeral">{{cite news |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/studies-in-islam/people-profiles/timothy-gianotti-0 |title=Timothy Gianotti – The Imam whose on Muhammad Ali's last days and funeral |work=[[On Being]] |date=June 9, 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927115036/https://uwaterloo.ca/studies-in-islam/people-profiles/timothy-gianotti-0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Prof. Gianotti plans Muhammad Ali's funeral and memorial service">{{cite news |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/studies-in-islam/news/prof-gianotti-plans-muhammad-alis-funeral-and-memorial |title=Prof. Gianotti plans Muhammad Ali's funeral and memorial service |work=[[On Being]] |date=June 9, 2016 |access-date=December 13, 2016 |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927114950/https://uwaterloo.ca/studies-in-islam/news/prof-gianotti-plans-muhammad-alis-funeral-and-memorial |url-status=live }}</ref>