Most Popular Muslim Athletes
With Islam being the world’s second largest religion, there are a number of Muslim athletes worldwide whom have made significant impacts to their respective sport. These athletes not only excelled in their professional careers but also did so as devout and religious Muslims.
Below, we are going to review the most popular Muslim athletes in the world. From Muslim players in the NBA to one’s in the NFL and even the UFC, these Muslim athletes are helping to represent Islam and its true message.
What is Islam?
Before jumping into the most popular Muslim athletes, it is important to understand what a Muslim is and what Islam is.
Islam is a monotheistic religion which is centered around the Quran, or the Muslim holy book, which is considered by Muslims to be the verbatim word of God.
As the world’s second-largest religion with over 2-billion followers, Muslims believe in a merciful, all-powerful, and omnipotent God who has guided humanity through prophets, revealed scriptures, and natural signs and miracles.
As such, Muslims also believe that Muhammed was the last and final prophet sent to humanity.
A follower of Islam is thus titled a Muslim and Muslims are expected, amongst other things, to take an oath declaring their belief in Islam, offer daily prayers, give frequently to charity, complete the fast in the month of Ramadan, and make a pilgrimage to the city of Mecca at least once in their lifetime.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Perhaps one of the most most famous, and definitely one of the most popular, Muslim basketball players to ever play in the NBA, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. and converted to Islam in 1971 at the age of 24.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is most famous for his skyhook, which he utilized to establish himself as one of the league’s top scorers.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in the NBA for 20 seasons, playing for both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his time, he was named a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Another famous Muslim basketball player to play in the NBA, Hakeem Olajuwon, nicknamed “the Dream”, played the center position for the Houston Rockets and the Toronto Raptors.
He led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995.
Hakeem Olajuwon is considered another great center to play in the league and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria and traveled to the University of Houston to play under head coach Guy Lewis.
At the University of Houston, Olajuwon would help his team reach the Final Four three times before being selected with the first overall pick by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft, a draft that included Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and John Stockton.
Shaquille O’Neal
Yet another center, Shaquille O’Neal is one of the best centers to have played in the NBA.
Shaquille O’Neal was raised by a Baptist mother and Muslim stepfather and has identified as Muslim, although he has also stated, “I’m Muslim, I’m Jewish, I’m Buddhist, I’m everybody ’cause I’m a people person.”
Commonly referred to as Shaq, O’Neal is widely regarded as on of the greatest NBA centers. In his 19-year NBA career, he played for a total of six teams and is a four-time NBA champion.
After playing college basketball at LSU, Shaquille O’Neal was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.
In his career in the NBA, O’Neal won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award in the 1999-2000 season, the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star Game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections.
Kyrie Irving
A player who often faces much criticism, Irving is one of the most prolific and adept basketball players in the league. currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets, Irving would be named Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Kyrie Irving played college basketball for famed program Duke and would win the Most Valuable Player Award in the NBA in the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving would make the championship-winning three-point field goal to complete the Cavaliers’ comeback against the Golden State Warriors.
Muhammed Ali
Although we have Muhammed Ali listed fifth on this list, we believe that he, above all other Muslim athletes, is by far the most popular Muslim athlete.
Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., he would convert to Islam in 1961, at just the age of 19. Muhammed Ali is widely regarded as the best and greatest heavyweight boxer of all time.
Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Ali fought in several historic boxing matches, including fights with Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, the Thrilla in Manila, and his fight with George Foreman.
Ali thrived in the spotlight and he became renowned for his provocative and outlandish persona. He was famous for trash-talking, often free-styled with rhyme schemes and spoken word poetry incorporating elements of rap, and often predicted in which round he would knockout his opponent.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
A Russian mixed martial artist, Khabib competed in the lightweight division of the UFC, where he was the longest-reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, holding the title from April 2018 to March 2021.
With 29 wins and 0 losses, Khabib is widely considered to be one of the greatest and best mixed martial artists of all time. Subsequently, he retired undefeated.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has a background in the disciplines of sambo, judo, and wrestling. At the time of his retirement, he was ranked #1 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and is the first Muslim to win a UFC title.
In addition, he is the most-followed Russian on Instagram with over 33 million followers in 2022.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson, nicknamed “Iron Mike” and “Kid Dynamite” is a former professional boxer whose career spanned from 1985 to 2005.
He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time and reigned as the undisputed world heavyweight champion from 1987 to 1990. Tyson won his first 19 professional fights by knockout, with an impressive 12 of them in the first round.
However, in the early 1990’s, it was reported that Mike Tyson had converted to Islam and adopted the name Malik Abdul Aziz.
Zinedine Zidane
Having played as an attacking midfielder, Zinedine Zidane is one of the most popular soccer players of all-time.
Famous for his elegance, vision, passing, ball control and technique, Zidane received a number of individual accolades as a player, including being named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1998, 2000 and 2003, and winning the 1998 Ballon d’Or.
Zinedine Zidane was born on June 23rd, 1972, in La Castellane, Marseille. He is the youngest of five siblings and is of Algerian Kabyle descent.
His parents, Smaïl and Malika, emigrated to Paris from the village of Aguemoune in the Berber-speaking region of Kabylie in northern Algeria in 1953 before the start of the Algerian War.
Mohamed Salah
One of the most popular Muslim athletes worldwide and one of the remaining popular Muslim athletes to still be playing, Mohamed Salah plays as a forward for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Egypt national team.
Commonly referred to as “Mo Salah”, he is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world and one of the greatest African players of all time.
Salah is most widely known for his style of play, including his finishing, dribbling, and speed abilities.
With Liverpool, Salah has a bevy of individual and team awards and accolades.
These include winning the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, the Premier League Golden Boot three times, the Premier League Playmaker of the Season, and finished third for the Best FIFA Men’s Player in 2018 and 2021.
Salah also received the 2018 FIFA Puskás Award for his winning strike in the first Merseyside derby of the 2017–18 season. He also holds the record for most Premier League goals scored (32) in a 38-game season, and ranks as Liverpool’s ninth-highest all-time top goalscorer.