Quotes to inspire and reflect

On beating Sonny Liston

He was supposed to kill me. Well I am still alive.

Before fighting Sonny Liston

Why, chump, I bet you scare yourself to death just starin’ in the mirror. You ugly bear. You never fought nobody but tramps and has-beens. You call yourself a world champion? You’re too old and slow to be a champion.

You’ve got to give him credit – he put up a good fight for one and a half rounds.

I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I'm so mean I make medicine sick.

There is one hell of a difference between fighting in the ring and going to war in Vietnam.

I strongly object to the fact that so many newspapers have given the American public and the world the impression that I have only two alternatives in taking this stand: either I go to jail or go to the Army. There is another alternative and that alternative is justice. If justice prevails, if my Constitutional rights are upheld, I will be forced to go neither to the Army nor jail. In the end I am confident that justice will come my way for the truth must eventually prevail.

After the Supreme Court quashed his conviction for draft evasion.

It’s like a man been in chains all his life and suddenly the chains are taken off. He’s doesn’t realize he is free until he gets all the circulation back in his legs and starts to feel his fingers.

People say I talk so slow today. That’s no surprise. I calculated I’ve taken 29,000 punches. But I earned $57m and I saved half of it. So I took a few hard knocks. Do you know how many black men are killed every year by guns and knives without a penny to their names? I may talk slow, but my mind is OK.

I didn't want to submit to the army and then, on the day of judgment, have God say to me, 'Why did you do that?' This life is a trial, and you realize that what you do is going to be written down for Judgment Day.

My gloves are going to jail. They ain't done nothin' — yet.

When I meet a new person, I don’t see race or religion. I look deeper. We must learn to satisfy our conflicts peacefully and to respect one another.

It don’t seem possible, but 28 million people run this country and not one white man is involved. I used to think that Africans were savages. But now I am here I have learnt that many Africans are wiser than we are.

On arrival in Zaire for ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.

I had to prove you could be a new kind of black man. I had to show the world.

Prejudice comes from being in the dark; sunlight disinfects it.

I know I got it made while the masses of black people are catchin' hell, but as long as they ain't free, I ain't free.

White people just don't want their slaves to be free. That's the whole thing.

When you can whip any man in the world, you never know peace.

Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.

Cassius Clay is a name that white people gave to my slave master. Now that I am free, that I don't belong anymore to anyone, that I'm not a slave anymore, I gave back their white name, and I chose a beautiful African one.

I'm a Muslim. I've been a Muslim for 20 years. . .. You know me. I'm a boxer. I've been called the greatest. People recognize me for being a boxer and a man of truth. I wouldn't be here representing Islam if it were terrorist. . .. I think all people should know the truth, come to recognize the truth. Islam is peace.

I don't smoke but I keep a match box in my pocket, when my heart slips towards sin, I burn the matchstick and heat my palm with it, then say to myself, "Ali you can't even bear this heat, how would you bear the unbearable heat of hellfire”?

Most people don't pray until they're in trouble. When people need help they pray a lot. But after they get what they want, they slow down. If a man takes five showers a day, his body will be clean. Praying five times a day helps me clean my mind.

Maybe Parkinson’s is God’s way of reminding me what is important. It slowed me down and caused me to listen rather than talk. People pay more attention to me now because I don’t talk so much.

Parkinson’s is my toughest fight. No, it doesn’t hurt. It’s hard to explain. I’m being tested to see if I will keep praying, to see if I will keep my faith. All great people are tested by God.

I have not lost [Allah's] hope in us to show compassion where none exists and to extend mercy in the most difficult of circumstances. We as Muslims must lead by example.

I’m not afraid of dying. I have faith; I do everything I can to live my life right; and I believe that dying will bring me closer to God.

Our 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.

And if God ever calls me to a holy war, I want Joe (Frazier) fighting beside me.

I am a Muslim and there is nothing Islamic about killing innocent people in Paris, San Bernardino, or anywhere else in the world. True Muslims know that the ruthless violence of so called Islamic Jihadists goes against the very tenets of our religion.

The Nation Of Islam taught that white people are devils. I don’t believe that now; in fact, I never really believed that.

Truly great people in history never wanted to be great for themselves. All they wanted was the chance to do good for others and be close to God.

I’d rather be punished here in this life than the hereafter.

Allah is the Greatest. I'm just the greatest boxer

I believe in the religion of Islam. I believe in Allah and peace.

I'm just hoping that people understand that Islam is peace and not violence.

God’s got me here for something. I can feel it. I was born for everything that I’m doing now.

A rooster crows only when it sees the light. Put him in the dark and he'll never crow. I have seen the light and I'm crowing.

Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams - they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do - they all contain truths.

I'm no leader; I'm a little humble follower.

Terrorists are not following Islam. Killing people and blowing up people and dropping bombs in places and all this is not the way to spread the word of Islam. So people realize now that all Muslims are not terrorists.

The word 'Islam' means 'peace.' The word 'Muslim' means 'one who surrenders to God.' But the press makes us seem like haters.

Allah's the Arabic term for God. Stand up for God, fight for God, work for God and do the right thing, and go the right way, things will end up in your corner.

I’ll tell you how I would like to be remembered: As a black man who won the heavyweight title - Who was humorous and never looked down on those who looked up to him – A man who stood for freedom, justice and equality – And I wouldn’t even mind if folks forgot how pretty I was.

My soul has grown over the years, and some of my views have changed. As long as I am alive, I will continue to try to understand more because the work of the heart is never done.