posted
is it not? i have lots of muslim ladies in my class who wear a hijab?!
Posts: 5642 | From: hellonearth.myfastforum.org Forum Index | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
Religious fatwa in Egypt says Islam forbids yoga"
(AP, September 20, 2004)
A religious edict saps the energy out of yoga enthusiasts in Egypt, where clerics say the 5,000-year-old practice violates Islamic law.
Answering a religious question put forward, Egypt's highest theological authority called yoga an "ascetic Hindu practice that should not be used in any manner of exercise or worship."
The undated but recent edict was signed by the mufti, Ali Gomoa.
The edict, published in the pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat and obtained Sunday by the Associated Press, called the practice of yoga "an aberration" and said mimicking it is "forbidden religiously."
Yoga is a collection of spiritual techniques and practices, aimed at integrating mind, body and spirit. In recent years, classes have started at gyms and in dedicated yoga centers. Tourist trips to Red Sea mountains and beaches also are arranged around yoga classes.
The religious edict said yoga could distort Islamic beliefs, relying on a saying from Islam's founding Prophet Muhammad about how if Muslims hold on to what he has instilled they will never stray from God's book or the prophet's teaching.
To Mukesh Kumar, a yoga instructor in Egypt for three years and diplomat at the Indian Embassy in Cairo, considering yoga an aberrant faith is a stretch.
"It is neither a religion nor claims to be a substitute for any religion in the world," he said. "I am amazed (and wonder) why this kind of statement is coming."
Kumar said the Indian cultural center in Cairo introduced yoga classes in 1992, and that the center is now operating at maximum capacity - 120 registered participants. Eighty percent of them, he said, are Egyptian.
Kumar said yoga's therapeutic aspects have proved helpful to Egyptians living in Cairo, one of the world's busiest cities with a population of 18 million.
"I don't think it is haram (forbidden religiously). It is a way of life. It relieves people from stress," he said, adding that Egyptian officials and diplomats are among those enrolled in his classes. "It is a boon for humanity. We have to carry it, and spread it."
posted
Yoga is a family of ancient spiritual practices that originated in India, where it remains a vibrant living tradition and is seen as a means to enlightenment. Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Raja Yoga are considered the four main yogas, but there are many other types. In other parts of the world where yoga is popular, notably the West, Yoga has become associated with the asanas (postures) of Hatha Yoga, which are popular as fitness exercises.
Yoga as a means to enlightenment is central to Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism, and has influenced other religious and spiritual practices throughout the world. Important Hindu texts establishing the basis for yoga include the Upanishads, Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Posts: 184 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Charm El Feikh?: i am interested to know if muslim men undertake any of this type of exercise.
A friend of mine owns a center in Cairo in which she offers – among many other things – classes in Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Feldenkrais, meditation and Bach flower remedies. About 90% of her clients are Egyptian, women as well as men although the former are the majority. Although there seems to be a demand, alternative healing and psychology are not widely available in Egypt since they are still viewed with suspicion by many Egyptians.
Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Still no answer, there is an Islamic Fatwa from top Muslim Scholar in Egypt who prohibted Yoga and it was all over the news. Is he right or wrong?
Posts: 127 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
some people says that it's a spiritual habit for worshipping something other than god. so they say it's illegal.
But i think it's not illegal if you dont aim to worship it or to imitate those people who worship it.
But I feel that it's of no use. this is just a feeling. I didnt try it dont exactly sure of that
Posts: 1007 | From: http://www.sultan.org | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
also you may know that islam prohibit imitation of non-muslims people in theit spiritual habits.
Posts: 1007 | From: http://www.sultan.org | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
If someone has the mentality to find the need for yoga , he will surely know the difference between practicing of yoga and its spirituality. some will take yoga in a sense of a religious behavior ( this is not allowed in Islam ) but as a practice/excercise it won't harm Muslims. ( IMO this is allowed in Islam )
If you can't understand then try to read more and understand the following : Islam Fatwa Yoga Posts: 184 | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by poopka: Still no answer, there is an Islamic Fatwa from top Muslim Scholar in Egypt who prohibted Yoga and it was all over the news. Is he right or wrong?
from where did u get the fatwa .. can u supply your resources, as far as for my knowledge and the shiekh I asked it is not forbidden !!!
Posts: 1022 | From: cairo | Registered: Oct 2005
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quote:Originally posted by islamonfocus.com: Yoga is of no use.
How can you say that if you haven't tried it?
Hatha Yoga – the physical practice – can be very beneficial for your health. It helps you strengthen your muscles, gain flexibility and also how to relax.
Meditation also has countless benefits which I'm sure you are aware of. Meditation can help you get in touch with your inner voice, or the creator or however you want to call it, some people call prayer meditation or vice versa.
Body and mind are a unit, you need to take care of both. Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I think this passage from your article sums it up quite well:
“Yoga brings you closer to your religious beliefs,” said Randa Thompson, a yoga practitioner who operates the yoga site, www.YogaFinder.com. “We cannot assume because someone practices yoga, they are going to change their religion. The Egyptian ruling is incorrect in its assumption that Yoga converts a person to Hinduism. Yoga would calm their bodies to be more open to a deeper Islamic spiritual practices in Egypt,” she added.
Arif Padaria, a venture capitalist in Boston, said that yoga has never conflicted with his Islamic faith. He has practiced yoga off and on for 16 years, mostly to strengthen his back. His sister in Mumbai, India, does it for health reasons, as well. “It’s the Hollywood-Bollywood thing to do,” Padaria said.
Mukesh Kumar, a yoga instructor in Egypt for three years and diplomat at the Indian Embassy in Cairo, told the Associated Press, “It is neither a religion nor claims to be a substitute for any religion in the world,” he said. “I am amazed and wonder why this kind of statement is coming.”Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Dalia I totally agree with you, I don't understand how simply someone just stop people from their daily spiritual practice, I know how impotant it is to some people!
Posts: 127 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Charm El Feikh?: i am interested to know if muslim men undertake any of this type of exercise.
A friend of mine owns a center in Cairo in which she offers – among many other things – classes in Yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, Feldenkrais, meditation and Bach flower remedies. About 90% of her clients are Egyptian, women as well as men although the former are the majority. Although there seems to be a demand, alternative healing and psychology are not widely available in Egypt since they are still viewed with suspicion by many Egyptians.
Men don't need youga in Egypt specially at home, they are quiet most of the time, but women certainly need it. I bet those women make their husbands very happy.
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
Ok so all egyptian men are in good shape and there are no backproblems in Egypt. You are lucky to be able to foul yourself like that.......
Posts: 1215 | From: Nowhere | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
I love yoga. I do hatha. Im still in beginners stage and I find it has helped my lower back and shoulder freeze problem.If combine with pilates its great. I see it as a health thing, nothing to do with religion for me. Just to remind that you can push harder than you ever imagine, and will survive it. Sometimes I wonder how people survived torture you know-because sometimes yoga is a bit like that-but self inflicted.
Posts: 872 | From: Sydney | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
I asked a friend and he said to me the following.
if your intention is for sport, no problem you can do it.
If your intention is the worshiping of things other than Allah. it;s totally forbidden as that may be a huge mistake in islam to worship something other than God.
Posts: 1007 | From: http://www.sultan.org | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
basically islam is based on intentions in the deeds as prophet Muhammed said
Posts: 1007 | From: http://www.sultan.org | Registered: Mar 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Dalia_06: Egyptian men are far from being *quiet* – in fact they have quite a reputation for being big drama queens.
Men are persecuted and can't enjoy the least of their rights at home, Can a husband watch football match at home if his wife is interested in the series played on another channel despite the fact that she watched it several times already before? Have you ever thought why Egyptian men accumulate on cafe during football matches?
Yes they are not quiet and they seem crazy in public but what do you expect after long yoga periods at home?
Posts: 1539 | Registered: Apr 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Dalia_06: Egyptian men are far from being *quiet* – in fact they have quite a reputation for being big drama queens.
Men are persecuted and can't enjoy the least of their rights at home, Can a husband watch football match at home if his wife is interested in the series played on another channel despite the fact that she watched it several times already before? Have you ever thought why Egyptian men accumulate on cafe during football matches?
Yes they are not quiet and they seem crazy in public but what do you expect after long yoga periods at home?
I think my (ex) husband will agree with you on that - there is absolutely nothing more boring that watch 22 men round around after a piece of dead goatskind fore 90 min. Posts: 1215 | From: Nowhere | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by poopka: Still no answer, there is an Islamic Fatwa from top Muslim Scholar in Egypt who prohibted Yoga and it was all over the news. Is he right or wrong?
still no answer!!!
Posts: 127 | Registered: Jul 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Dalia_06: Egyptian men are far from being *quiet* – in fact they have quite a reputation for being big drama queens.
Men are persecuted and can't enjoy the least of their rights at home, Can a husband watch football match at home if his wife is interested in the series played on another channel despite the fact that she watched it several times already before? Have you ever thought why Egyptian men accumulate on cafe during football matches?
Yes they are not quiet and they seem crazy in public but what do you expect after long yoga periods at home?
I think my (ex) husband will agree with you on that - there is absolutely nothing more boring that watch 22 men round around after a piece of dead goatskind fore 90 min.
Can it be more boring than watching the same movie like 68 times, memorizing every single scene of it and still react with those facial excited expressions as if you don't know what will happen in the next scene? Posts: 1539 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
All we can do on this site is give our opinions, we cannot say that a fatwa is right or wrong; we are not scholars here. Another reason that we do not have a full copy of the fatwa available, just links to a few articles commenting on the fatwa.
There are many scholars who do say that Muslims shouldn't practice yoga, and they seem to be saying so looking at the possibility of people getting involved in the religious side of yoga. My personal feeling is that if people practice yoga as a means of physical excercise and make a clear separation between that and the religious aspects, and if teachers also make that separation for Muslim students, I don't see it as something that needs to be avoided.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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posted
As I said, we don't have a full copy of the fatwa, just selected parts of it quoted out of context. And even if we did, we are not scholars to be able to give you a judgement as to whether the fatwa is correct or not.
I gave you my personal opinion, and that is based on my understanding and general reading, and I accept that others will make their own personal decisions about it too which may be different from mine. As Muslims we are all accountable for our own actions and trying to make the best decisions we can about the way we live our life, based on our understanding of the religion.
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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quote:Originally posted by islamonfocus.com: if your intention is for sport, no problem you can do it.
If your intention is the worshiping of things other than Allah. it;s totally forbidden as that may be a huge mistake in islam to worship something other than God.
That's what several people have been saying here all along and in my opinion it's the most logical conclusion. I don't understand why people need a fatwa for things like that instead of applying a bit of common sense.
Btw, I just don't understand how doing physical exercise / gymastics / yoga relates to worshipping something other than God. Or would you also suggest I was in danger of idol-worship if I tell you I go running in the park or do weight-lifting?
Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Dalia, Why do you go to doctor when you are ill, does this doctor grantee that you will get the right cure, I guess he my do the wrong prescriptions, .. but he still is a doctor and he had more knowledge in his subject than you (if you are not a doctor) .. even doctors go to doctors !! why is it so hard for you to understand
Posts: 1022 | From: cairo | Registered: Oct 2005
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posted
I think part of the problem, at least for me regarding certain issues (though not this one), is that I take them personally, thinking about it only from my perspective. If I thought I could do yoga without letting it hurt or interfere with my relationship with God, then I would think, what's the problem? But that doesn't take into account all the people in the world who are different than I am and who may not be able to follow things or think about things the way I do. I don't personally have a problem with this ruling about yoga. I took some classes when I went to community college and it was nice, and I've actually thought about taking another class recently, just for the stretching and relaxation. To me, everything is from/through God, so yoga would only be something that would bring me closer to God in that sense. Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by bibo1978: Dalia, Why do you go to doctor when you are ill, does this doctor grantee that you will get the right cure, I guess he my do the wrong prescriptions, .. but he still is a doctor and he had more knowledge in his subject than you (if you are not a doctor) .. even doctors go to doctors !! why is it so hard for you to understand
I can't relate to that analogy at all since I don't blindly trust doctors. If a doctor wants to prescribe something that I don't want to take for a certain reason I tell him so and might refuse to take it or ask for something different. (That happens, for example, when a doctor suggests I take an antibiotic for a minor illness.)
Likewise, if I had a severe illness I would always ask different doctors' opinions and do as much research on the subject as possible for myself.
If a doctor doesn't take me and my questions seriously I'll exchange him (or her) for another one.
That does not mean I question doctors' authority in general or that I assume I'm more knowledgeable in the medical field; but in matters where my own body and health is concerned I want to stay involved and feel it's necessary to get as much information as you can for yourself. Doctors are only human beings and they make mistakes all the time. Also, due to the extensive nature of the subject they can't be knowledgeable about everything. Many doctors, for example, are quite uninformed when it comes to nutritional matters since this is not necessarily tought in medical school.
Actually while typing this I realized that I use pretty much the same approach when dealing with scholars of any religion. I don't necessarily accept someone's judgement just because the person is a scholar. If I can't detect any logic, wisdom or benefit in something or if it goes against my inner compass of right and wrong I won't accept it. Just because someone is learned in religion doesn't mean that he's necessarily a wise person, neither does it make him an expert in all matters relating to every day life. And for each scholar saying *A* you will find countless others that say *B*, *C*, *D* and so forth. So at the end of the day you still have to make up your own mind on which opinion to follow according to what makes the most sense to you personally. Only you know the intentions behind your actions and it's you who will be held responsible for them – not the scholar you chose to follow.
Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
Just because they might not always be right, doesn't mean that they are never right. Is the only person you have trust and faith in yourself?
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by LovedOne: Just because they might not always be right, doesn't mean that they are never right.
I haven't said anywhere that they are never right.
quote:Originally posted by LovedOne: Is the only person you have trust and faith in yourself?
Hm ... not sure where you're getting this impression from. There are lots of people I trust and whose wisdom or knowledge or personality I admire and who I think can teach me things. I was simply saying that I don't trust an authority just because the person is labelled an authority. I am very wary of too much belief in authorities; I'm coming from a country with a bad history of brainwashing people and I get very suspicious if someone asks me to blindly believe and follow something without giving any other evidence than some authority's opinion. I've been brought up to not accept authority for authority's sake; I've always questioned teachers, doctors etc., there's nothing unusual about that ...
Posts: 3587 | Registered: Mar 2006
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posted
gee, my reply looks silly since you edited your post. anyways... whatever. believe what you wish and let others believe what they wish, how's that? if someone doesn't want to practice yoga because it goes against their faith, then why do you care if it's not affecting you as you aren't of that faith?
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by LovedOne: if someone doesn't want to practice yoga because it goes against their faith, then why do you care if it's not affecting you as you aren't of that faith?
I don't care how someone practices their face as long as it doesn't affect me at all. But what bothers me is when so-called authorities make a decision that is obviously not based on careful research of the subject (but rather on partial knowledge and misconception) and then you're not supposed to question this because the word of an authority is not allowed to be questioned per se.
This reminds me of the fatwa that said Harry Potter is haram while there was a similar statement from the Catholic pope. They both declared the books haram because on first look they contained magic, yet none of them had actually cared to read them.
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