Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 4
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4
Muhammad Ali important signed Islam pamphlet
Muhammad Ali important signed Islam pamphlet
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4
Description:

Ali Muhammad

Signed trifold pamphlet "Islam at a Glance", 3.75" x 8.5", opens to a full size of 11" x 8.5". Signed and dated in pen and ink to the lower front panel by Muhammad Ali in full signature "Muhammad Ali". Fine condition with faint toning to outer edges.

A lovely pamphlet with personal significance for Muhammad Ali, as he converted to Islam in 1964. His public conversion was among the most defining moments of his remarkable life. The decision enraged his critics -- his hometown newspaper continued to refer to Ali by his birth name, Cassius Clay, for years to come -- and led him to refuse to serve in Vietnam, a stand that cost him his title, his livelihood and, ultimately, cemented his status as an American iconoclast.

Although theories abound about what was the catalyst for his conversion, according to an excerpt from his book, "Ali: A Life". Ali describes seeing a cartoon in the Nation of Islam newspaper, "Muhammad Speaks", illustrating how white slave owners brutally beat their slaves, while insisting that they pray to Jesus. The message: Christianity was the religion of the oppressive white establishment. "I liked that cartoon," Ali wrote. "It did something to me. And it made sense.” The cartoon was about the first slaves that arrived in America, and the cartoon was showing how the black slaves were slipping off at the plantation to pray in the Arabic language facing the east. And the white slave master would run up behind the slave with a whip and hit the poor [slave] on the back with a whip and say, ‘what are you doing praying in that language, you know what I told you to speak,' and the slave said, 'yes sir, yes sir, Master. I will pray to Jesus, sir, Jesus.' (The cartoon Ali referred to is shown below). At age 22 in 1964, in the year he converted, he won the WBA, WBC and lineal heavyweight titles from Sonny Liston in a big upset. Clay then converted to Islam and changed his name from Cassius Clay, which he called his "slave name", to Muhammad Ali. He set an example of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the Civil Rights Movement.

In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be drafted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War.He was eventually arrested, found guilty of draft evasion charges, and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully appealed the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971, by which time he had not fought for nearly four years and thereby lost a period of peak performance as an athlete. Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

Ali's recent passing lead many to reflect on how passionate his life was, someone who was never complacent with the common, who lead his life his way and believed life could be lead without limits unless you imposed them on yourself. Perhaps his own quotes best describe his philosophies: "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life", and "I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want." , "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.", “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”, “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you", "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000