National Fatwa Council to make a ruling on yoga
GEORGE TOWN: The National Fatwa Council will soon come out with a ruling on yoga exercise.
The Islamic Development Department’s deputy director-general (operations) Othman Mustapha said the council’s chairman, Prof Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin, would make the announcement.
Othman told reporters this after opening the two-day seminar on Islamic Jurisprudence and Eternal Islamic Thinking at Universiti Sains Malaysia here yesterday.
On Tuesday, lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Islamic Studies Centre advised Muslims who have taken up yoga to stop practising it as it could deviate from their belief. – Bernama
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i am not saying this because i am a yoga practicioner. but...in all honesty, have they actually made a thorough study on this? or is it because a certain group of people made some noise to the council? if it really is haram, show us the proof!
i know that many Muslims in Malaysia sees yoga in this light. and their reasons are:
- it is part of hindu practice
- the names of the postures symbolises actions of deviating from Islam (e.g. Sun Salutations, Goddess pose, etc.)
- meditation
- incantations
it is part of hindu practice- it is NOT part of a hindu practice. However, hindus practice it. Yoga originated from India, as a form of exercise (& not prayers!).- the names of the postures
symbolises actions of deviating from Islam (e.g. Sun Salutations, Goddess pose, etc.)- These are just that...names! Sun Salutations was called that because it was a practice done in the mornings as an energiser. Goddess pose was probably because the posture is especially good for women. yeesh... meditation- everyone thinks meditating is about clearing your head of any thought and heart of any feeling, till the point of nirvana & levitating from the ground. but what it really is, is about focusing. this is to train our mind to stay focused in everything we do. in fact, this is also required when we carry out our solat, where we are supposed to be khusyuk.incantations- i used to freak out during my classes when the teacher starts chanting some sanskrit stuff. i definitely do not want to be a Muslim deviant. so, when she does her incantations, i will start reading Subhanallah (Glorious is Allah). But when i read my yoga magazines & books, i realised that the incantations had no Hindu inclinations.
OM SAHANA VAVATU SAHANA BHUNATTU
SAHA VIRYAM KARAWAVAHAI
TEJASVINAVADITAMASTU
MA VIDVISHAVAHAI
OM SHANTI SHANTI SHANTI OM
Together may be be protected
Together may we be nourished
Together may we work with great energy
May our journey together be brilliant and effective
May there be no bad feelings between us
Peace, peace, peace
Even after knowing this, i STILL don't follow this mantra. because i have my Muslim "mantras"
like praising in the name of Allah SWT & his Prophet Muhammad SAW. Yoga does not force you to do anything.
it is NOT a religion. in fact, it is supposed to assist & enhance your religious practice.
The Yoga Instructor Diaries have included this interesting article written by another Yoga practitioner, on Islam and Yoga.
i do hope that the council will think this through.
yoga is a wonderful exercise for all types of people and for all levels of fitness. why are the Malays (and Muslims) not leveraging more on this? i do wonder if that is the reason why our race is plagued by obesity and health issues!
if it really happens, where they will jatuh fatwa that Yoga is haram...i guess i will just be a do-it-yourself-at-home practitioner...and be firm with my akidah.
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