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Question and Answer Details
Name of Questioner
Magdi - Malaysia
Title
Malaysian Fatwa on Yoga: Why All the Fuss?
Question
Dear scholar, as-salamu `alaykum. We read in the news that recently a fatwa issued by the National Fatwa Council in Malaysia prohibiting Malaysian Muslims from practicing yoga has disappointed some Muslim groups and practitioners who deny that it is a Hindu religious practice. The fatwa says that yoga has been practiced by the Hindu community for thousands of years and incorporates physical movements, religious elements together with chants and worshipping, with the aim of ?being one with God?. Because of this, the Fatwa Council believes that it is inappropriate for Muslims to do yoga. Therefore, the council declared that practicing yoga, when it comes together with the three elements, is haram.
Given the above, could you please elaborate the Islamic stance on practicing yoga in the light of the above, particularly within the Malaysian context.
Date
25/Nov/2008
Name of Counsellor
Sano Koutoub Moustapha
Topic
Muslim Creed, Sports & Games
Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salamu wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear brother, thanks for your question. May Allah Almighty guide us all to the straight path of Islam.
Regarding the points you raised, it should be clear that Islam aims at protecting the faith of Muslims against any taints of disbelief. Therefore, it is unbecoming for a Muslim to engage in or practice any sport that would violate the ethics and basics of his belief. If yoga, or any other sport, contains religious elements and rituals that are peculiar to other faiths, it will be disallowed for a Muslim to practice.
Moreover, it is the right of Muslim scholars in any country to be concerned about the faith and religious practices of Muslims in their respective communities.
Responding to your question, Dr. SanoKoutoub Moustapha, deputy chairman of the International Fiqh Academy and professor of fiqh and its principles at the International Islamic University, Malaysia, states,
Thanks for your question.
I second the fatwa of the National Fatwa Council which disallows Muslims to practice yoga when it incorporates physical movements, religious elements together with chants and worshipping, with the aim of ?being one with God?.
I can see that the fatwa may be based on the Shari`ah-based principle of sadd adh-dhara'i` (blocking the means to evils). In Malaysia, we observed that many Muslims, especially from the youth, are being passively affected by practicing yoga.
Malaysia, as a multi-ethnic country, has Muslims living with people from other religions such as Hindus and Buddhists. Therefore, it does not harm other religious communities that Muslims would not practice a health technique that could have passive effects on their faith.
Moreover, if a Muslim is pressed by necessity to practice yoga, he should look for other alternatives, and there are many available.
Finally, if practicing yoga will not be associated with religious elements, chants and worship, it would still be better for the Muslim to avoid it in order to avoid something that is doubtful. By avoiding that which is doubtful, a Muslim protects his faith as mentioned in a prophetic hadith. Related Questions
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Allah Almighty knows best.
Thus, a Muslim is to avoid yoga even if it isn't connected to any other religious practices. Why is Islam sooo paranoid of other religious practices?
Topic: Islamonline Malaysia's Fatwa on yoga!