Question

What is Islaamic perspective about yoga exercise?

Fatwa
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

Yoga is not simply a physical exercise, it is rather a form of worship to the su

n instead of Allaah. Collins defines yoga as: 'A Hindu system of philosophy aimi
ng at the mystical union of the self with the Supreme Being:- a state of complet
e awareness and tranquility through certain physical and mental exercises'. It i
s widespread and well known in India since early ages. The original name of this
sport in Sanskrit is (Sastanga Soria Namaskar) which means "prostrating for the
sun on eight places of the body". This sport has 10 known states among which th
e fifth stage where the person lays face down on earth touching the ground with
his: both hands, the nose, the chest, both knees and the toes. By this one reali
zes prostrating for the sun on eight organs of the body.
The yoga exercises start with the first state which constitutes a bowing to the
worshipped, i.e. the sun. These exercises must be accompanied by a number of wor
ds and phrases, which state clearly the worshipping of the sun and the orientati
on towards it. This is called (Mantra). It is said in a soft voice and regular t
one and pitch. These expressions include the 12 names of the sun and here are so
me of the things they say:
1) Mitraya Nama which means: I bow my head for you O! Friend of everyone.
2) Rafayer Nama which means: I bow my head for you who is glorified by everybody
.
3) Suria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Guider of everyone.
4) Maritchay Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Forcer of the disease out.
5) Safitir Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Giver of life.
6) Bhasakaria Nama meaning: I bow my head for you O! Source of light.
Some of them add other expressions like:
Um Hram, Um Hraim, Um Hrum, â ¦etc. This means: O! God.
When the Muslims were fighting Hindus, they used to say: Allaahu Akbar and the H
indus used to say: Um Hram (seeking Help from their idol). Longman dictionary de
fines "Mantra" as "a word or sound that is repeated as a prayer or to help peopl
e Meditate in the Hindu or Buddhist religion".
So, we conclude that yoga is not a kind of sport, it is rather an atheist form o
f worship that the Muslim should not indulge in under any circumstances. Some mi
ght wonder: what if the person practices the physical exercises without facing t
he sun or repeating the mentioned expressions? The answer is: "If this sport bec
omes free of atheist expressions and free of facing the sun, bowing for it and g
reeting it, it is no longer yoga. It becomes some simple physical exercises prac
ticed by all people and there is no harm to practice it provided two things are
met:
First, re-ordering the exercises in a way different than the one in yoga and int
roducing some new situations in it to avoid similarity with yoga.
Second, avoiding practising these exercises in the times the Hindus observe it l
ike at sunrise. The evidence for these two conditions is the narration in which
the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) said:
"Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun
has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan. That is when the
unbelievers prostrate to it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, since it is forbidden to perform the prayer at sunset or sunrise to avoid im
itating the disbelievers, then doing some other practices that disbelievers devo
te themselves to do at fixed times is more entitled to be done in different time
s.
Know also that what some people advertise that yoga brings tranquility and calm
is not peculiar to yoga. It is general to anyone who keeps on repeating innovati
ve, polytheist expressions or words with the presence of mind and the concentrat
ion on something like a picture.
The scholars mention that the devils land on these people filling their minds an
d hearts with imaginations and illusions, making them feel a false tranquility w
hich some followers of innovative ways and forms of worship, publicize.
In fact, the true tranquility of the soul and its purity are attained by followi
ng the Sunnah and adhering to it as well as remembering Allaah in the way He men
tioned in His Book and in the books of Sunnah.
Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {â ¦ Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do
hearts find rest.}[13:28].
Allaah knows best.