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Memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky for boxing legend Muhammad Ali. Funeral procession begins at 9 a.m. EST
Muhammad Ali and his innermost circle started a document years ago that grew so thick they began calling it "The Book."
In the pages, the boxing great planned in exacting detail how he wished to say goodbye to the world.
"The message that we'll be sending out is not our message — this was really designed by The Champ himself," said Timothy Gianotti, an Islamic studies scholar who for years helped to plan the services.
"The love and the reverence and the inclusivity that we're going to experience over the coming days is really a reflection of his message to the people of planet Earth."
The 74-year-old three-time heavyweight champion wanted the memorial service in an arena. He wanted multiple religions to have a voice while honoring the traditions of his Muslim faith. And he wanted ordinary fans to attend, not just VIPs.
