To answer the question, “Is Yoga Haram in Islam?” We went to various Imams and Maulanas, read various articles, and watched Islamic social media influencers. In the end, we concluded that “Yoga is partially haram in Islam”.
In this blog post, we explain in depth the concept of yoga, a list of haram things, and Islam.
Note: We also covered how Muslims can practice yoga without involving themselves in shirk.
What is Yoga, and when did it originate?
The word yoga means union and here union stands for “Union with God”. According to Rigveda, yoga is related to the sun god and believing in him as A God.
Yoga originated 5000 years ago in the pre-vedic age, and it was popularized by Swami Vivekananda in the Western world.
What is the motive for practicing yoga?
The end goal of yoga is to attain salvation, or moksha, with the help of physical and mental spiritual practices, which come under yogic practices.
Yoga is made up of which things?
Spiritual Yogic Practice:
The motive of spiritual practice in Yoga is to reach a higher level of consciousness with the help of the study of spiritual texts, chanting, and mantra repetition. The end goal is to attain peace with divine power.
Physical Yogic Practice:
The motive of physical yogic practice is to build inner physical strength, flexibility, and balance with the help of practicing various asanas and body poses. Hatha and Ashtanga yoga are some examples.
Mental Yogic Practice:
The motive of mental yogic practice is to bring awareness to thought and practice mindfulness.
It involves Pranayam and asanas like kapalbhati anulom vilom and other breathing exercises.
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List of Haram Things in Islam
- Consuming pork or pork-related products
- Consuming intoxicating products like alcohol, drugs, and other mind-altering substances
- Being dishonest and stealing
- Charging or paying interest
- Engaging in games of chance or gambling games
- Engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage
- idolatry, with or without Allah.
- Spreading information about others
- Abusing animals. Read More List of Shirk In Islam
What is Shirk in Islam?
When a person believes that their creator is other than Allah, then that person is doing Shirk.
That’s why in Islam, one of the most popular phrases is “La ilaha illallah Muhammad ur Rasulullah,” which means there is no god but Allah, and Mohammad is the messenger of Allah.
Further, we would understand why yoga is close to Shirk.
Why is yoga closed to Shirk?
As we understand what shirk is in Islam, various yoga forms and asanas are close to Shirk.
For example, in Surya Namaskar, a yoga practitioner believes the sun to be a god, and this belief system is called Shirk in Islam.
That’s why yoga is close to Shirk.
Also Read: Can you Meditate with Music?
Why is the concept of Yoga and Islam contradictory?
The concepts of yoga and Islam Contradict each other because of two things.
Practicing yoga asanas, which believe that the sun is our God, and secondly, attaining moksha, or salutation, are both shirks in Islam.
List of top Islamic influencers who condemn Yoga for Muslims
We went through a session with Zakir Naik where he explained whether a Muslim can practice yoga or not.
We found that he condemned the practice of yoga by Muslims, and he also gave references to Hindu scriptures where it is proven that yoga is a part of Hinduism.
Is Yoga Haram in Islam?
As per our research, yoga is partially Haram in Islam because there are spiritual and physical aspects to it. If a Muslim practices yoga just for health benefits and to develop strength, then it is permissible, but on a spiritual level, yoga becomes a shirk.
Can Muslims practice Yoga?
A Muslim can practice partial yoga, which means that you can practice this physical aspect of yoga while avoiding the spiritual and mental aspects of it.
For example, you can practice all those yoga poses and asanas that are not intended to shirk.
Like practicing yoga, you can practice Tadasana for strength and better growth of the body, breathing exercises, etc.
What can Muslims Practice Instead of Yoga?
There are various alternatives to yoga that a Muslim can practice to maintain oral and body health. Those are
Joining a Gym
A gym is one of the most popular ways to maintain overall body strength with various exercises. Make sure we are not aiming to become professional bodybuilders but just have a fit physique.
Aerobics
Aerobics is also one of the ways to maintain physical fitness, especially for women. If a Muslim woman goes to Arabic classes, wearing loose clothes with a proper hijab is one way to practice aerobics.
Joining Martial Arts Classes
Some people join Martial art classes to reduce weight and maintain a good physique. You can join Taekwondo, Karate, boxing, or Judo classes.
Joining other Sports
Sports like tennis, badminton, hockey, and table tennis: instead of practicing yoga, you can join other sports like tennis, badminton, hockey, table tennis, basketball, and football.
FAQ
Some Muslim scholars condemn the practice of meditation because it originated in Buddhism.
Saying ohm is a part of Hindu worship, and it is strictly prohibited in Islam.
Yes, Surya namaskar is haram in Islam because Surya namaskar means worship of the sun, and this breaks the fundamentals of the Islamic religion.
Conclusion on whether Yoga is haram in Islam or not?
Islam is a religion that focuses on following no one but Allah. But the concept of yoga is the belief in attaining moksha, or salutation, with the help of mantras and the reputation of certain words like Om.
Surya Namaskar is also a part of yoga poses that say that the sun is a God. Although if a Muslim wants to practice yoga, he can do limited yoga poses that follow the guidelines of the Islamic religion.
I hope we cleared up everything regarding whether yoga is haram or not.
