Funeral prayers of legend Muhammad Ali to be offered today

LOUISVILLE (92 News) - Three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest tomorrow (Friday), after a funeral prayer in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday. About 14,000 people are expected for the service on Thursday, which will be broadcast on TV and streamed live online. Organizers say the service, or funeral prayer, is open to all, but meant especially as a chance for Muslims to say goodbye to a man considered a hero of their faith. An interfaith memorial service is planned for Friday, which will include representatives of several religions, including Jews and Christians. Ali, who long ago began crafting the plan for his final tribute, insisted the tickets for his memorial service be free. But on Wednesday, after the tickets were handed out, some people looked to make a profit. People started arriving outside the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville late Tuesday, hours ahead of the ticket distribution. The line stretched around the arena. Thousands of tickets for Ali's memorial service Friday were claimed on a first-come, first-served basis in about an hour. Many fans of the boxing great flashed smiles, and some danced, upon getting their four-ticket allotments to be part of history. Thousands of others left empty-handed. Fifteen thousand free tickets to the funeral were distributed in just one hour on Wednesday morning. Some fans of Ali waited overnight in lines to secure tickets, which were limited to four per person. Some of the tickets began showing up online; this listing features the tickets for $50 apiece.