Ali was well-known as a humanitarian and philanthropist

Ali was well-known as a humanitarian and philanthropist. He focused on fulfilling his Islamic obligation of charity and good acts, donating millions to charitable organizations and impoverished individuals of all faiths. It is believed that Ali helped feed more than 22 million hungry people around the world. One of his early work priorities was youth education. He spoke at various historically black colleges and institutions about the importance of education and became the United Negro College Fund's highest single black donor in 1967 with a $10,000 donation ($78,000 in 2020 USD).

Ali began touring Africa in 1964 when he went to Nigeria and Ghana. In 1974, he paid a visit to a Palestinian refugee camp in Southern Lebanon, declaring his "support for the Palestinian struggle to liberate their homeland." In 1978, after losing to Spinks and before winning the rematch, Ali visited Bangladesh and was granted honorary citizenship. The same year, he joined musician Stevie Wonder and actor Marlon Brando in The Longest Walk, a protest march in the United States in support of Native American rights.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter appointed Ali to a diplomatic mission to Africa in order to encourage a number of African states to join the US-led boycott of the Moscow Olympics (in response to the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan). Around 1987, the California Bicentennial Foundation for the United States Constitution chose Ali to represent the vitality of the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. During the First Intifada, Ali took part in a pro-Palestine protest in Chicago in 1988. He visited Sudan the same year to raise awareness about the plight of famine victims. Prior to the Gulf War, Ali traveled to Iraq and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages.

In 1994, Ali advocated for the United States government to come to the rescue of Rwandan genocide refugees and to donate to organizations that assist Rwandan refugees. Ali traveled to Afghanistan as the "United Nations Messenger of Peace" on November 17, 2002. He was in Kabul as a special UN guest for a three-day goodwill mission. He received the Philadelphia Liberty Medal in 2012 in recognition of his career engagement, charity, and humanitarianism.