SUMMARY
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grew up under the Christian faith.
- In 1971, the NBA legend decided to convert to Islam to help achieve spiritual guidance.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a leader in society for several different reasons. He wasn’t any less while he competed in the NBA either. Popularly known as The Captain, the Hall of Famer dominated the league for nearly 20 years playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Kareem achieved multiple records and accolades during an era when centers were the most prominent athletes on the floor. He was a master of the sky-hook shot, which helped him score over his opponents consistently.
Eventually, the former Lakers superstar became the league’s top scorer and the NBA’s all-time regular season points leader. This record remained untouched for over thirty years before he passed on the torch to LeBron James. Abdul-Jabbar’s resumé is far more impressive than what most people believe it to be. He was a 6x NBA Champion, 2x NBA Finals MVP, 6x League MVP, 2x NBA Scoring Champion, 4x NBA Blocks Leader, 19x All-Star, Rebounding Leader in 1976, and the 1970 Rookie of the Year.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also happens to be one of the very few players who boast NCAA Championship victories as well. After retiring from the league, he served as a coach, winning two championships in the NBA while leading the Lakers between 2005 and 2011. His journey as a basketball player inspired a lot of individuals of the past and present generations. But as inspiring as he was on the court, he was equally as influential away from the game.
When did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar convert to Islam?
Kareem was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947, in Harlem, New York. He grew up religiously following the Christian faith and stayed under the belief for a good chunk of his life. That was until in 1971, Alcindor Jr. transitioned into the Islamic faith in search of spiritual guidance. Along with his change of faith, he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which meant “The noble one, servant of the Almighty.”
Sunni Muslim Kareem Abdul Jabbar visiting a mosque abroad.
Kareem is an Arabic word meaning “the most generous, noble, distinguished” and is one of the 99 names of Allah. Abdul means “servant of the” and Jabbar means “almighty”. pic.twitter.com/7mKVpeoxrS— Muhammad Abdulsalaam (@DjCurtisHarmon) August 25, 2020
He was blessed by Hamas Abdul Khaalis, a leader of a Black Muslim group called the Hanafi Movement. “The question I’m often asked is why I had to pick a religion so foreign to American culture and a name that was hard for people to pronounce. Some fans took it very personally as if I had firebombed their church while tearing up an American flag,” he said during an interview with Aljazeera America. Kareem drew inspiration and influence from Malcolm X.
Why did Kareem Abdul-Jabbar turn to Islam?
Most people would assume that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decided to convert for socio-political reasons. However, the decision was far more personal than politically influenced. “I couldn’t reconcile myself to the Christian ideology anymore. I didn’t do it to tweak society’s nose either. It was a reaction to what I found about the Catholics and Christians, their involvement in the slave trade, their destruction of cultures, and suppression of people throughout the world,” he said.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on why he converted to Islam:
“Islam is a very personal thing. I never did it to be political. I did it because I couldn’t reconcile myself to the Christian ideology anymore. I didn’t do it to tweak society’s nose either. It was a reaction to what I found… pic.twitter.com/YczeOSRoAH
— The NBA Realist (@nbarealist23) October 12, 2023
Not only did the former Bucks player do it in his quest for spirituality, but he also chose to convert out of respect for his people. After he converted, Kareem bought a house at 7700 16th Street NW. He donated the property to Hamaas for the Hanafi group. It was used as the Hanafi-Hab Center for a few years. But unfortunately, the same house became a place of the Hanafi Muslim Massacre that happened in 1973.
Kareem eventually severed ties with Hamaas as he did not agree with some of his teachings. He went on to study and analyze the Quran on his own. The NBA legend would also be found reading the Quran in the locker room before or after games. His faith also helped him become disciplined, which also influenced his work ethic.