- EN (English)
| Fatwa ID: | 81088 |
| Title: | Is yoga haram? |
| Category: | Varieties |
| Scholar: | Dr. Hatem al-Haj |
| Date: | 03/04/2010 |
Is it haram to do yoga? The reason I ask is because it comes from the Buddhist/Hindu religion. However, it has become so westernized that the spiritual aspect is removed. Even though they focus on spirituality, you can remember Allah during that time. I don't think there is any alternative because this is a good flexibility exercise, and it is usually all woman in the class... definitely hard to find.
All praise be to Allah, and may His blessings and peace be on His final messenger, Muhammad,
Yoga is originally a Hindu, then, Buddhist religious practice. It would be only halal to practice it as a form of light exercise if it were stripped of all of the religious connotations attached to it, such as the statements said and certain positions which symbolize prostration to the sun, etc. You will also need to modify the order of certain moves, so as to make it a new practice that bears no relation to the original.
The five daily prayers, when performed correctly, provide the needed light exercise and de-stressing, in addition to gaining the pleasure of Allah and His reward.
And Allah knows best.
