Coming soon: Fatwa on yoga
Oct 29, 08 4:08pm, Malaysiakini
The National Fatwa Council will be issuing a ruling soon relating to yoga exercise, which is deemed to be deviationist in nature for the Muslims.
An announcement on the matter is expected to be made soon by the fatwa council's chairperson Prof Dr Abdul Shukor Husin.
This was revealed by the deputy director-general of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) Othman Mustapha, reported Bernama today.
Yesterday, UKM lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa advised Muslims who have taken up yoga - a widely popular exercise which has its roots to India and Hinduism - to stop practising it for fear that it could deviate them from their belief.
"Yoga originated from the Hindu community and it combines spiritual as well as their religious aspects. They believe it brings them closer to their god," he was reported as saying in Berita Harian today.
Zakaria was reported to have said that more Muslims were resorting to yoga exercise to find a balance in their hectic lifestyle.
He added that they should instead apply the Islamic teachings such as prayers to find peace and good health.
"If the Muslims want a healthy body, prayers are the right choice... why must we find alternate ways... a single mistake can deviate our teachings as yoga movements follow the style and tradition of Hinduism," he was reported as saying.
Ban on tomboys
The perils of yoga to the Muslims is learnt to have been discussed at the recently held fatwa council meeting in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
At the fatwa council meeting, the religious scholars have also decided to issue a fatwa against females from dressing or behaving like men and engaging in lesbian sex.
Council chairperson Abdul Shukor had said that many young women admired the way men dress, behave and socialise, violating human nature and denying their feminity.
"It is unacceptable to see women who love the male lifestyle including dressing in the clothes men wear," Abdul Shukor was quoted as saying.
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I'm just waiting for the National Fatwa Council to come out with fatwas against corruption, violence against women, cheating etc. Instead they have these.
Do they know anything about yoga or is this a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance? Yoga may have spiritual roots but most of us do it for the exercise, both for the mind and body. It helps you to focus and in fact helps you to focus when you do your prayers. The one thing it does not do is make you want to beat up anyone, call people nasty names or issue fatwas on things you don't understand.
If prayers are the only thing you need to be healthy, why are there so many unhealthy Muslims? Is this an indication that they don't pray? If all you need do is pray, why do sports or eat healthily?
If they have ever found any Muslim who has converted out solely because of yoga, they should produce evidence instead of speculating on the 'weakness' of our faith. If it is 'weak' at all, it is because people like the Fatwa Council have done nothing to make it strong, constantly weakening it through fear and ignorance.
And what is this thing about 'dressing in clothes men wear'? If I wear a pantsuit (which incidentally covers very well), am I dressing like a man? If I cut my hair short because it is easier to upkeep, is that forbidden? Will we now have the Fatwa Council scan the fashion magazines and make rulings about which clothes are 'masculine' and which are 'feminine'? (And what is there to admire about 'the male lifestyle' when males are represented by the men on the Fatwa Council?)
I know, I know...someone is going to tell me to shut up because apparently I don't know my religion. Well, that is a matter of opinion. The Islam that I believe in is just and fair, is compassionate, loving and peaceful.Someone tell me that's the wrong Islam.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
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106 comments:
Well said Marina. I wish there are more people like you in the Fatwa Council. Sigh....wishful thinking I suppose.
assalamualaikum
hi there,
love to read your post
although i'm a PAS members
but i always think that we should hear everything from both sides, before we judge a person
i agreed with you on the yoga issue
as i think, as long we dont recite their spiritual prayer etc., that should be fine.
but as for fatwa against the tomboy
i agreed on that
(but still not to the extent of woman cant wear pants - thats ridiculous)
maybe you should open up ur eyes
and you will see how serious the tomboy problem is...
Drear MM, apparently you can only follow instructions in your religion; you should not think and question... =.=
Jimmy, I don't think women are good enough for the Fatwa Council.
Hady,wassalam. Thank you for your comment. My eyes are open and I don't see why exactly tomboys are such a serious problem. I think however extremely macho men have been a serious problem for women for centuries.
I agree with you 100% Marina. I don't think being a tomboy is a big deal. I used to be a tomboy when I was younger - i.e. I played basketball & soccer, and I prefered my hair short coz it suited my active lifestyle. Is that so wrong? People should stop confusing tomboyism with lesbianism... they are two very different things.
agreed in what you all says. and agreed with Hady also regarding the tomboys-the precaution is better,here.
Sighh....what are coming too. Agreed that Yoga is a form of meditation from Hinduism but to ban it all together for fear of losing one's religion is downright ridiculous and absurd.
Why no fatwa on Muslims buying 4D, drinking, corruption and other vices. Most waiters and waitresses in pubs are Muslims and how come no one has seen.
If the council really cares about guarding the sanctity of Islamic teachings and values, they should really go around and see what is really happening for themselves. Banning something that has no rationale only creates the notion that Muslims lack the strength of the Islamic faith and easily deviated. Now, that is a real shame. The International community will look at us Malaysians as shallow and narrow minded fools and this will carry some ramifications surely! Next, they will ban Muslims from going to the Gym, then swimming pools, then playing sports....
Sighhhhh.........
Nora, well said!... if fatwa to be issued on tomboys, then how bout those transvestites (guys dressed up like a girl) roaming freely in the City??
and that Yoga issue, that is totally ridiculous. I never heard such cases people converted to Hindu after of practicing it. Why Jacky Chan never become a monk since he is such good Kung Fu fighter?? ....
Again.. im really ashamed that we, Malaysian, still showing out its childish behavior, spending time on some nonsense issues.. why we always want to bring out issue on religion, races, political parties n so on...?? . the world is in the brink of recession... anyone cares bout it??
i think the public universities are breeding moronic grads cause they're taught by moronic professors. i dont think zakaria stapa did his homework. most of the yoga classes available nowadays, esp at gym centers (even in UKM and USM) have nothing to do with any Hindu teachings at all. i agree, trivial subjects like forms of exercise or how a woman should dress shouldnt be the priority of the fatwa council
next we hear a FATWA on curry powder(ayurvedic), kicap manis, kicap masin,chapati, naan, satay, belachan, roti chanai, teh tarik, kopi-o, steak(western decadent culture-christian?), because all thess are foreign and these food habits originate from hinduism, yes even belachan, from indonesia, formerly a hindu colony, all these food habits can lead to glutonny and you might get coverted by eating these food trends, what about chinese herbs, minyak urut, is that also going to be haram but BAKSHEESH WHICH IS UNDER THE COUNTER MONEY FOR CORRUPT PRACTISE, btw, an ARAB TERM SHOULD BE OKAY BECAUSE IT COMES FROM THE ARAB WORLD. THIS IS WHAT YOU CALL ORANG SESAT, OR KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG. MM I have to give it to your father, when he was the PM, he controlled these relegeous committees from coming out with ridiculous FATWAS, BUT WITH THE present trend to out islam the pas islam or the arabs themselves, the BN govt has appointed morons to these Fatwa councils. to me a non muslim, it is no skin off my nose, i.e. it does not affect me, but I TRULY FEEL SORRY FOR OUR FELLOW MALAYSIAN MUSLIMS, YOU DO HAVE MORONS SITTING ON THESE FATWA COUNCILS. It may sound harsh, but Malaysia is the laughing stock of the muslim world. this is what happens when you have ignorant people in charge based not on merit but who they can bodek, to get promoted. Ini lah di panggil orang sesat arah. Truly very sorry for you muslims. I THINK WE MIGHT AS WELL ALL STAY HOME AS DRIVING AND TRAVELLING ARE A CHRISTIAN CREATION, MAYBE EVERYBODY TRAVEL BY CAMEL, ADA AP KOT NANTI UNTUK CRONY, MAYBE EVEN BAN BREATHING AS CLEARLY THE MUSLIMS ARE BREATHING THE SAME AIR AS THE GREAT UN-WASHED NON-MUSLIMS. gigo- garbage in = garbage out. that is the callibre of our govt officlia. Syabas champions of the world. what about electricity, ban that too that is a christian western invention, pencils? pens? paper? what else.
wawasan 0202.
no wonder our country is going
down the drain.
pm and deputy pm what say you.
There are many things in Malaysia which have an Indian/Hindu origin or subtantive influence.
This includes Bahasa Malaysia, the descendants of Parameswara and the Melaka Sultans, Royal customs, Wayang Kulit, Marshall Arts etc.
Is the Fatwa council going to ban all these as well?
Wake up Fatwa Council!Yoga is practised worldwide and no one in America, UK or Europe see it as an onslaught by Indians/Hindus to insidiously promote their rculture or religion there.
http://donplaypuks.blogspot.com
Hi,
Quoting ThePublicProsecutor, "Why no fatwa on Muslims buying 4D, drinking, corruption and other vices.."
I think the question is kinda irrelevant due to the fact that all those things are already haram - meaning we already know the status of those actions. why would the fatwa council would wanna discuss stuff that has already been clearly explained in the quran? (ok so the quran does not specifically say 4D, but you get what i mean)
Stuff like smoking however - needs to be discussed, since they aren't any specific or clear cut answers to the 'haram'ness of it.
Declaring it(yoga and stuff) haram or not at the end of the day doesn't mean a thing to most of us muslims in Malaysia unfortunately. I mean smoking has been fatwa-ed as haram, but yet people still do it.
So why even bother arguing?
Back in the days, (and I mean during the time the prophet was still around) when Rasulullah said that drinking was haram - the arabs who were drinking at that very moment immediately smashed the bottles tht they're holding (wallahualam).
Guess we're way off from those folks back then huh.
nora, i agree!
tomboyism and lesbianism are very2 much 2 diff things.
pleaseee...
open up ur mind!!!
it's embarrassing to hear the lame reasons given to ban yoga.
n i agree to u too, marina
"If prayers are the only thing you need to be healthy, why are there so many unhealthy Muslims? Is this an indication that they don't pray? If all you need do is pray, why do sports or eat healthily?"
DING DONG- ouchhh...
when are National Fatwa Council
going to take action against all those incompetent
president, timbalan president and whatever majlis perbandaran joker
who are obviously not doing their job but are highly paid
for doing nothing.
look at the state of this country, not a place that is clean, neat and tidy.
the city drains are filled with rubbish the sidewalk overgrown with lalang
the list goes on and on.
it is time quintion to declare war on all this joker
who are not doing their job. in fact they should be sacked immediately.
to all readers get the ball rolling.
from my point of view, the yoga part is quite uncalled for. unless they know something we don't know, but if they do, they should share it with us. as far as what they have told us, its total BS. its attitude like this that makes the world prejudice towards our religion and sadly, it came from our brothers up there in the Majlis Fatwa. PEMIKIRAN SEMPIT. the tomboy part, saya sokong.
Well said, MM!
I am trying not to open up another can of worms but I can't help but feel the double standard practised here.
Why are they harping on tom boys when I've seen so many cross-dressing men everywhere, especially in shopping malls where they are employed as sales person?
I am not against anyone but in fact an equal opportunist. I have been pleasantly surprised by the fact that these men are not being discriminated at the workforce, which I find commendable.
So, why discriminate against cross-dressing women?
Dear MM,
Marina, I detect a sense of exasperation in your posting, but I totally share your sentiments. A courageous effort!
By the way, for those who understand yoga, it's a system of breathing and stretching that promotes relaxation. Not much different to performing the 'namaaz' without the (Arabic) utterances!
By the way do they know what yoga is all about? Have they attended any class or interviewed anyone who is involved in it?
Will there be a fatwa on gymnastics and swimming too since the girls wear skimpy, skin tight leotards/swim suits that will cause this turban-jubah clad man an uncontrollable erection at the very sight of these females on the TV screen.
Oh yes, ban gymnastics and swimming on TV too before these men's testosterone level shoots to uncontrollable heights.
Hi MM dan blogger.
Saya rasa hairan dan pelik dengan isu yang ditimbulkan juga komen-komen bloggger. Ketika ini kita rata-ratanya menghentam Majlis Fatwa seolah olah keputusan Halal-Haram yoga dan tomboy telah dikeluarkan.
Saya hairan dengan MM yang menunggu fatwa tentang rasuah, keganasan terhadap wanita, penipuan etc dan ada juga blogger 'thepublicprosecutor' yang menunggu fatwa 4D, minum arak, rasuah dsbnya. Bukankah telah jelas perkara-perkara tersebut adalah Haram di sisi Islam. Nak tunggu Fatwa macam mana lagi?
Ada pula bangsa cina malaysia mahukan Majlis Fatwa menangkap mereka-mereka yang tidak bekerja dengan jujur contohnya di PBT. Pelbagai kempen seperti "kebersihan alam sekitar", "kitar semula", "hapuskan denggi" telah dilaksanakan oleh kerajaan. Apakah anda sudah membantu menjayakannya? INGAT, Kebersihan adalah tanggungjawab kita bersama.
Pada pendapat saya, MM perlulah membawa seorang jurulatih yoga ke Majlis Fatwa. Minta dia membuat satu demonstrasi tentang semua pergerakan yoga. Beri peluang kepada sesi soal-jawab antara Majlis Fatwa dan jurulatih yoga. Saya percaya ianya membantu ahli Majlis dalam membuat keputusan.
Tomboy - pada masa sama juga terangkan kepada Majlis Fatwa bahawa isu yang paling utama ialah masalah sex lesbian. Seks di luar tabii ini yang mengundang masalah.
semua ini dapat dijelaskan jika MM berjumpa ahli Majlis. Kenapa berantakan? ketika saya taip komen ini, saya belum dengar lagi Majlis mengeluarkan Fatwa. Masih belum terlambat untuk memberi penerangan kepada mereka.
I didnt deviate from the islamic teachings when i went to pay my last respect to a friend at the funeral in a church neither did it happen when I watched the banned The Prince of Egypt when the film censorship board said that the film is 'insensitive for religious and moral reasons'..
But I can think of many ways to deviate after reading what nonsense the darn council is coming up with. Maybe it is time for these ppl to really open their eyes, take off their turbans and tudungs and face reality!
From the hair on the head
To the nails of the toes
You'll be told how to lead
Life stricter than for potatoes
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 291008
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Wed. 29th Oct. 2008.
Dear Marina,
I like you, but be careful! You are talking like Raja Petra. Before you know it, you may be sitting side by side with him in Kamunting!!
Cheers,
ylcw
Ai ya Marina,
Do you know the Actor's Studio has put on this Musical on Broadway Parodies that had one song named "Marina" and it was about you.
Now I am worried. In case there is going to be a Fatwa on that one. Are they going to point you as the guilty party or Faridah!!!
O.k. o.k.. you have taken on just about everyone and come out looking roses. Now you're taking on the holier than thous!! You even have challenged them to issue fatwas on corruption, and all the other nonsense they seem to love and encourage anyway.
And worse still, you have used the word "us", conceding you are also doing it. So after the fatwa you going to be looking to do Pelatis instead?
Really, for foolhardiness, I guess Malaysia is the world's capital.
(Aiyo--that "Word Verfication" below is such a fowl sounding word la" Don't want to tell you what it is also. But I still got to use it to get this comment to you.)
Dear Marina,
You cant blame me if I say that Islam is a religion which always imposes it self by force,can you?
Corruption,`pilih kasih' or nepotism,cronyism,racial discrimination,infidelity to name a few are greater sins as far as my understanding goes.These sinful acts are openly practised by our so called leaders,yet I never saw the fatwa council talking about these social ills being commited by our leaders,many muslims included though.Something which actually helps one to be healthy in mind and soul and eventually turns one to be a good human is construed as bad.Why is this fear?Even attending an open house to greet another fellow human was also construed as unislamic before.I am confused here,you claim islam is fair and just,but your religious leaders and clergyman constantly speak otherwise.Which is which?I feel instead of you and Nuraina pouring out your frustrations in the blogs,its better all of you get the true pic from your religious leaders and then post it for all to see,instead of confusing the people and also those young muslims.
Assalammualaikum.
did the Fatwa Council banned the tomboys or pengkids? That should be differentiated.
Please don't tell me that tomboy is the same as pengkid.
Hey Marina,
I think they got the whole thing on Yoga wrong.
The Real Yoga is indeed actually Spiritual. It's about the divinity of Chakra(which is some sort of energy in a person's body). Yes Yes Yes.... but it's NOT HINDU...
And the YOGA that Malaysian learn from Fitness centers are NOT SPIRITUAL YOGA... it's bloody EXERCISE... It only took the physical aspect of the YOGA.. but eliminated the 'spirituality' aspect....
... and most importantly... YOGA has got nothing to do with HINDU... If got something to do with INDIAN....
BTW, not all Indian are HINDUIST...
I start to wonder when these hardcore religious people going to ever become INTELLIGENT. If they are intelligent, they would have done some research first before making silly comments.
I don't know much about TOMBOYISM, but I know TOMBOY are not always Lesbians.
Being a varsity debater, it is paramount to issue a clear definition before you enter a debate.
In this case, the fatwa council failed to define clearly "what constitutes a tomboy?" This failure has attracted unwanted critism and flak from the public. Maybe instead of dicing the fatwa council, may we ask a clarification from them as to 'what makes a tomboy so bad that it makes it haram for them to behave so?'
On a personal note, girls behaving like men (for instance having girlfriends-especially if both are Malays-and publicly showing their affection) is something of a problem that you cannot ignore.
Or is this something you're ok with MM?
people,
yoga is not hinduism. at all!
yoga is in religions but religions is not in yoga. seriously.
I dont have my material with me right now but i wanted to tell you all, do not mix it up.
Yoga was created by yogis not hindus and these yogis so happen to be in.. *Drum roll* India! they go up to the mountains, meditate, imitate (cobra, monkey, turtle, pigeons) then these teachings were passed down to people with religion, who so happen to be many of them in india *drumroll* Hindus!
What is sad, is that it shows a lack of understanding something (research research research, you're a professor for god's sake) then come out with a statement to show how un-knowledgable you are (in other words, sorta like dumb. i'm being nice here)
What lacks in yoga that it cant be a religion is obviously, there is no YOga temple, mosque or even church. Tell me, what religion in this world does not have a place of worship? Hindus dont go to temple and perform yoga right? Ahah! got you.
There are no rituals in yoga.nope. namaste simply means welcome. burn incense.. well, it smells nice :)lying a mat.. well, tried yoga on unpadded floors. not nice i tell you.
Yoga has no deity. no sacred icons Where got yoga god. yoga messenger? All religions had a messenger. Muhammad (saw), Jesus, Prince Buddha, etc. Hindu god yes.Yoga god no. and if you say siva is sitting in a lotus pose, so did buddha, my uncle last night during dinner and Pastor John when he was sitting on the floor.
There is no religious leader No imam for yoga. We got great teachers (iyengar, bikram [not really]) but no system for imams/religous leaders.
and the cream of the crop, there is no worship service to attend. Do yoga anytime you like wherever you like. 5 times a day? no problem. next weekend after dinner, no problem. No sunday mass, no friday prayers. Nothing.
I can go on and on on this (i know my stuff and love yoga) but for a clearer perspective on HOW NFC can handle this, is this:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoU6PcDvGDGB638IPpnS7_AjzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20080215173752AAjcbzX
great answer.
Well said you people.All we need is educated,broad minded people in fatwa council to get facts right.
Open your eyes and mind you people in fatwa council.
My heart sinks thinking of the future of young muslims who are mislead by this moronic people.
It is so clear that those people in the fatwa council are weak with insecure feeling in their own beliefs in Islam and also with their muslim brothers.If they have confidence and faith in their own religion,why should they be in fear of diversion of beliefs from islam to other relifion?.
You fatwa council pls get your definition right on religion.
Yesterday, UKM lecturer Prof Zakaria Stapa advised Muslims who have taken up yoga - a widely popular exercise which has its roots to India and Hinduism - to stop practising it for fear that it could deviate them from their belief.
Our Raja and Sultan titles have its roots to India and Hinduism too. Malacca is initially a Hindu Kingdom...
You and yr father are the same: ignorant of basics in Islam. Fatwa council only makes rulings on things that are not clear in Islam. For example, there is no necessity to rule that taking alcohol or gambling is haram. The same thing wiht corruption, violence against women, cheating etc. The Egytian Fatwa council had made the same fatwa that yoga is haram some time ago.
For moslems who understand Islam they already knew that practices like yoga is haram and avoid such things.
you are no different than the non-moslems when they talk about Islam.
Marina, How naive. Yoga had exist long before the religions of the people of the book and for the little I know it do gives our species an understanding of the beauty of our body, thus it is not only good for the mind but the physical body as well.
Have a nice day anyway.
Jangan menghalalkan yang haram atau mengharamkan yang halal.
Tidak kira ulama,menteri,pejuang hak asasi atau siapa pun.
kembali pada Al Quran dan Sunnah.
Bagi isu pengkid, ia memang jelas haram. Yoga- itu perlu elaborasi lagi, kalau sekadar senaman tiada masalah.
Jangan mempersoalkan solat ataupun kelebihannya.
Islam adalah cara hidup.
The council obviously has no faith in the faithful...Practising Yoga does not make someone a Hindu, eating nasi lemak doesn't make a person a Malay, speaking Mandarin does not mean a person will go to a Buddhist temple to pray...It sounds as if people who are in the council belong to a different planet...so close-minded...so unMalaysian...
No need fatwa for 4d, gambling etc but no enforcement as Muslims are still at the number shops.....so whats the point of issuing fatwas....waste of time oni...
do you think the next on will be banned muslims from working together with non uslims as the non muslims might influence the muslims to deviate them from their belife?
maybe... why not with the current state of mind o our fatwa council.
sigh...
Sorry, i'm a non-malay. I just don't understand, why are those so-called "muslim"(not all) want to differentiate(or isolated) themselves from the others? Or to differentiate(or isolated) others from the themselves?
You may call me racism, but shall we follow something without reasoning just because we need to follow?
But in Malaysia,
Reasoning = questioning -> challenging?
I don't know why is this formula
always working when we come to discuss something...
Ok, shall i discuss, that before Prophet Muhammad, and after Prophet Muhammad, there is no any wise man in the world?
Fatwa Council is belong to Muslims.. All fatwas apply to Muslims ONLY. It may be true if the council have their own weakness.. let the ulamak fight for that.. they know best.. (real ulamak represent the religion not a political party or entity)
If you are not Muslims then stop interfering bcoz you have no right at all. Seriously..
If you are "half Muslims" or less knowledge of Islam then start to in depth your knowledge from the right source (i.e murshid guru). Reading is good but guidance is mandatory.
When debating on something, the whole picture must be considered.. not based on anyone or one side opinion or one tv channel.
Every Muslims is free to have a dialogue the council to have a clearer picture.. Go and satisfied your doubt.
Remember the meaning of 'iman':
1.mengatakan dgn perkataan, AND 2.melakukan dgn perbuatan, AND 3.membenarkan dgn hati.
Failed to fulfill one of the said meaning
or
apply one of them to a reverse way will lead to DEVIATION of 'iman'.
Note:
New fatwa for "4D, drinking, corruption and other vices" is not needed bcoz it is already clarified 1400 years ago.. anyone request for new fatwa on these is totally has no clue on fatwa matter.
Muslims do not need Yoga if they pray 5 times a day added with sunat prayers like solat nafil,solat tahajjud and solat taubat.But still its a matter of one's choice and opinion.
Yes of course for every action it depends on the nawaitu and I'm sure the members of the Majlis Fatwa have their own in disharging their duties on any issues no matter how trivial.
Everything is for Allah.
Wallahualam!!
Money is the dirtiest piece of paper on earth. It carries millions of germs; handled by all sorts of people you can think of; cheats, robbers, the diseased, murderers, rapists, holy people, infidels, and what have you.
Any holy cow considering a ban on handling such despicable piece of paper?
Marina,
There is another potential minefield ahead with the Suhakam's study on the right of a child to choose his or her religion .
You could no doubt imagine the mixed feelings and concerns many would be having on reading the article although its just a study still.
Or it could just do a cop out and say that the findings are only for non muslims and non muslims alone.
Click here to visit my Blog
God bless.
"For moslems who understand Islam they already knew that practices like yoga is haram and avoid such things."
Wow, that one should get the 'most ignorant comment of the day' award.
Dear MM, I think muslims in general have a very wrong idea on non-muslims discussing religious issues.
First, all islamic rules and regulations are open and subject to scrutiny of the whole world.
Second, it's the rights of non-muslims to question and to analyse something that they don't udnerstand. And of course it's muslims' responsibilities to explain and to clarify. Otherwise what good in that religion if it's not for all mankind?
Third, if my neighbours suffer from domestic violence or any injustice within their families, do you think I should keep quiet and just pretend that nonthing happens? I can't, if any rules or regulations that affect my friends and yet they can't do anything about, it's my duty to help them in whatever way I can.
Don't you think so? I strongly believe true understanding and respect comes only from open-minded discussions, rather than oppression and self-righteousness. After all, we don't know who is right and who is wrong before judgement day, no matter how devoted a person is towards her/his religion.
May God enlighten us all!
This is perhaps the star example of which why Islam is in the state of what it is today..
Our Ulamaks are more concerned with women wearing lipstick, doing excercise, bangles and botox than wonder why Muslims kill each other using weapons made by other people.
I may disagree with many of your views,
but this one.. well this one is just to obnoxious..
I find it funny in some of the 'discussions' ...
It will start like this...
If you are not Muslim / less of a Muslim -> not knowledgeable enough so -> don't persoalkan. / don't question / keep quiet.
And will end with something like this... Islam is beautiful. Come and know more.
Duh!! i keep quiet loh and dun want to know loh then people complain that they are misunderstood. Want to know, they feel we are stupid.
I remember telling a Buddhist who kept apogising for asking 'stupid'(in his own words) questions that it is ok to ask and I will try to explain.
Dear Marina..
I must say... this must be the joke of the century!!
Hope they would spend their energy on more pressing issues!!
sigh...
I supposed that the next step will be to issue fatwas against cross dressing, kung fu (since it appears to be always associated with the Shaolin temple), lion dance (since learning of kung fu is requisite to perform the lion dance) and many more.
And talking about ignorance, I remember many years ago when some politician (cannot remember who) suggested that for national identify, instead of the lion dance, we should have the tiger dance. As tiger show has a bad connotation, that suggestion was quickly swept under the carpet.
Cheers.
1. Jimmy Su, MM has no specialism to be in the Fatwa Council. It is like putting a tortoise in a group of rabbit. Totally different background and specialty. Honestly.
2. Tomboys, pengkids, lesbians, gambling (buying 4D), drinking, corruption, transvestites and other vices are already disallowed in Islam at the first place as already contradict with the basic rule of Islam. The rule is already there, like I said.. clarified 1400 year before.. non-muslim of course not knowing all Islamic rule..
3. Being at gym, swimming pool, tv programme even for everyday activities…Code of dressing… Basic rule of ‘aurat’ in Islam already there.. ‘Muhrim’ concept is applied too..
4. Being a Muslim is to follow Islamic law. Non-muslim is not bounded to this law & of course has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION IT. Ban Ban, you should be banned as your nick name of questioning Prophet Muhammad in that way... RESPECT other people believes.
5. Muslim is to follow Islamic Law & Non-muslim is up to their own law. Law is to be followed to make this world a better place to live on. But there are still people who like to break the law which is individually matter of aspect.
6. It is no longer about the law BUT it is all about the enforcement, implementation and individual level of believe. Ikanez quote “…has been fatwa-ed as haram, but yet people still do it…” same goes to every corruption activities all over our country.
7. Before accusing the council being narrow minded / pemikiran sempit and asking them to open their eyes, please do consult with the council to get the whole picture rather than just based on Malaysiakini kinda source or other individual opinion.. or just wait the related fatwa to come out first.. then feel free to judge it.
8. On the issues of minyak urut, chinese herbs, belachan, parameswara, language and whatever come from old heritage or other part of this world.. it is all can be used if not against the Islamic law, rule, guidance.. Only people with no clue on Islam will mix it all..
9. What the most important thing is, new fatwa only will come out case by case especially on unclear issue on the new world civilization.. (e.g. drug position, in-vitro baby, botox)..
Another comment. Let's try to discuss the following sentence with logical thinking.
moloyue said:
...
For moslems who understand Islam they already knew that practices like yoga is haram and avoid such things.
...
So, according to my knowledge,
1. What is told in Quran is truth.
2. (ASSUMING, since we are doing logical thinking) Quran tells only the truth.
3. Does Quran mention that yoga is forbidden for muslims?
3(a). Quran says yoga is forbidden.
3(b). Quran does not say yoga is forbidden.
4. According to my knowledge, 3(b) is correct.
5. And, issues/manners not mentioned in Quran, we cannot say it is true/false. (unless by certain wise people only)
6. So, if Quran does not mention yoga is forbidden, then "For moslems who understand Islam they already knew that practices like yoga is haram and avoid such things.", this sentence is proved to be wrong, unless it is said by wise people.
So, if according to logical demonstration, what moloyue is saying, is he/she wise enough to say this sentence?
Sorry, please don't blame me if you find me not logical enough than you.
salam marina, just to let you know that I heard Ms Sibert has passed away. Funeral is tomorrow.
Kak teh @ Zaharah
I'm so GLAD you wrote on this issue, which is really a non-issue. I'd wanted to say something about it online but stopped short for fear of being miscontrued as anti-Islam. I think certain people should loosen up and just take things easy. For most of us, regardless of religious background, yoga really is just a form of exercise. Sigh! I guess the Fatwa Council has a lot of time on their hands to find faults in ordinary, innocuous things. You're absolutely right, what about violence against women & children? I don't think Islam condones that.
strange we picked up on the same cue, madam...
Fatwa council misusing their time again, uh?... sigh!
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http://delcapo.wordpress.com/
Msulim said:
Fatwa Council is belong to Muslims.. All fatwas apply to Muslims ONLY. It may be true if the council have their own weakness.. let the ulamak fight for that.. they know best.. (real ulamak represent the religion not a political party or entity)
If you are not Muslims then stop interfering bcoz you have no right at all. Seriously..
If you are "half Muslims" or less knowledge of Islam then start to in depth your knowledge from the right source (i.e murshid guru). Reading is good but guidance is mandatory.
==============================
omg with people like you I have such a bad impression of the narrow mindedness of Muslims (especially in Malaysia). No way I would even consider becoming a Muslim.
Luckily there are ppl like MM around to balance out people like you.
Datuk-to-be Shah Rukh Khan is from India, lets ban him too.
To zmeng,
Not everyone from India is a Hindu.
If I am not mistaken, Shah Rukh Khan is a Muslim whose wife is a Hindu. It is said that his two children follow both religions.
Cheers.
Dear Muslim,
Islam is such an important aspect in our society,part of the fabric that affects us all,muslims and non-muslims..Therefore,even non-muslims have the right to enquire about rulings of the 'faith'..Never shun people who enquire and question for it will only create more confusion.
Secondly,you know how hard it is to directly consult the all holy national fatwa council about a ruling.As a body that serves the Muslim public, they should owe us a full explanation and allow dissent and other views without us knocking on their door.
Okay Marina....that's the wrong Islam...the Islam we believe in is just and fair, is compassionate, loving and peaceful. So...let's go on practising our Islam and let them believe in theirs.
Probably the next thing they will "fatwa"tised is Feng Shui....or have they done that?
With due deference to all my muslim brothers,sisters and non-muslims alike in malaysia,please refrain from further comments about yoga,an ancient hindu art to purify the mind and soul,which is 3500 yrs older than islam itself.All muslims in malaysia please listen to your religious leaders who navigates your life by force,yoga never forces any one to follow its teachings by force.Dont let these Umno controlled ulamaks and imams to create cleavage between the malays and non-malays,as we all want to live in peace.Om Shanthi
Why don't we ask this bunch of Fatwa councillors to sign up for some yoga classes before they pass this stupid ruling?
As far as I attended afew yoga classes ...the instructor never once talks nor preaches any religious message while guiding us how to breathe, relax and loosen those tired limbs.
Is Islam this insecure?
Labulabi,saya tidak akan menyiarkan komen anda.Tetapi saya tidak setuju sama sekali bahawa orang bukan Islam tidak boleh bertanya mengenai hal-hal orang Islam. Malah jika ada soalan daripada orang bukan Islam, memang menjadi tugas dan tanggungjawab kita sebagai orang Islam untuk menjawab dengan keyakinan bahawa jawapan kita akan memberi gambaran yang baik mengenai Islam. Kalau kita tidak yakin, kita patut pergi mencari jawapan dan kemudian menjawab soalan mereka.
Kalau kita enggan menjawab kerana tidak yakin bahawa kita tahu akan jawapannya, maka itu salah kita, bukan salah dia. Menyuruh orang bukan Islam membisu saja dan tidak bertanya apa-apa adalah salah kerana ini akan memberi gambaran bahawa kita tidak tahu mengenai ugama kita sendiri. Tak ke malu?
Saya memang suka jika ada orang Islam yang ingin tahu mengenai ugama kita. Bukankah itu peluang untuk membetulkan salahtanggapan? Bukan itu peluang kita untuk menunjukkan betapa indahnya ugama kita? Tidakkah kita mahu mencelikkan mata mereka?
Jadi para pembaca semua, yang berugama Islam atau bukan Islam, sila teruskan diskusi ini dengan cara yang tertib dan saling menghormati.
Salam kepada semua.
Dearest Marina,
after go through all the comments
i find it a bit irritating when people starts to use 'harsh' words
blaming and pointing each other
we all have different perspective towards certain issue BUT
when people starts to says
" I TRULY FEEL SORRY FOR OUR FELLOW MALAYSIAN MUSLIMS, YOU DO HAVE MORONS SITTING ON THESE FATWA COUNCILS" like ARTIC TURBAN did
that is just irritating and sickening
cant we all use a better words instead? why we have to be bad to do 'goods'?
i like the way MUSLIM explaining things - no bad words, no harsh phrase - then we all, no matter muslim or non-muslim, can get benefit from that.
Dont u think so dearest Marina?
1. Members of the Majlis Fatwa are selected from scholars of various disciplines of Islamic knowledge such as Hadith, Qur'an, Fiqh, Usuluddin etc.
2. Fatwas are not issued for fun.
3. A Fatwa is needed for issues where its halal or haram is not direclty mentioned in the Qur'an.
4. A Fatwa is the interpretation based on the knowledge and understanding of an issue in a particular time, and place. So a Fatwa can change as an issue is better understood by way of research, or sudden inspiration. Since our life evolves around new things, we will certainly need Fatwas from time to time.
5. A Fatwa is a way out for those who do not wish to push the limit of 'harus' to the maximum. He or she prefers to remain safe from 'syubhah' or associating themselves with something that is close to being haram.
e.g: Majlis Fatwa has issued a decision on cigarette. It's haram based on medical reasons of the day and statistics i.e people who smoke are more prone to getting cancer compared with those who don't. So if you smoke it's like you're subjecting your body to getting cancer, which is close to suicide, which is haram.
If you wish to smoke, it's all right because Qur'an doesn't mention anything about smoking. As far as Qur'an is concerned you can smoke the whole cigarettes in the ciggy factory if you want. And you can still argue with God that since it's not mentioned in the Qur'an you figure it's all right to smoke.
But for those who wish be closer to Allah - they may chose not to smoke based on this Fatwa.
(Not a big deal - the choice is yours)
Members of Majlis Fatwa is made up of liberal-minded individuals with exceptional intelligence that Allah has given them. They have more open discussions than what you have accused them of here. They've had discussions with M. Nasir on lyrics, music and such. They've had discussion with gays and homosexuals. They don't have to tell you about this.
A Fatwa (yet to be issued) on Yoga is in the process of being discussed. You can bet your left ear that by the time they're done with it, they will have understood Yoga better than the most senior Yogi the bear.
The Majlis Fatwa, like the rest of Majlis Fatwa in other Islamic countries, have issued thousands of Fatwas for matters you may consider trivial, but a big deal to those who want to be close to Allah and do not wish to commit 'syubhah'.
That's what Islam is about. It's about obtaining the 'redha' from Allah because you know everything you do here, will be questioned in the hereafter.
Of course, a great many Muslims do not really think that the hereafter is a big deal and so it doesn't really matter to them whether or not Allah 'redha' for all their actions here.
One of the signs that you don't care all that much about Allah is when you feel uncomfortable with the sound of people reading the Qur'an. Or people talking about Qur'an. Instead you make it your mission to point all the 'flaws' in the Qur'an so that you have this thing in your heart whispering; if Qur'an is perfect, then how come Allah has imposed so much rules on women like tudung.
And you have this doubt in your heart that Qur'an is not the ultimate truth, which is why you don't read it every day. Besides you don't speak Arabic. Since you're the type who understand what you read, you figure there's no point in reading the Qur'an. But you forget, people have read Qur'an for more than a thousand years and a great many of them don't understand a word what it means but yet, they find it beautiful.
This blows your mind away. Which is why you figure; I'm a Muslim but I'm a thinking Muslim. Which why you figure you don't need HIDAYAH.
It's just a Fatwa. Not a big deal. You may choose to follow. You may choose not to follow. You may choose to make Yoga your way of life because it is just a form of exercise. Or you may choose to sing songs in a church because you figure, it's just a song.
Each will answer before Allah our action. There's no force in Islam?
Hi, I just want to drop a note that yoga is also prohibited if not encouraged in Christianity. It is also considered as deviation and it is not practised not due to where it may lead but where the roots came from, similarly to acupuncture, feng shui and reflexology. We stay away mostly out of respect to our faith as God is considered a jealous God to us.
About the other things you said, I agree. Those people should seriously take care of other more important things. (So many comments, so I didn't go thru all)
these religious scholars could not even understand the roots and basic understandings of yoga yet they are loud enough to declare it's haram for muslims..
i join yoga classes and so far i don't feel like converting to the hindu religion
To Muslim,
1. Jimmy Su, MM has no specialism to be in the Fatwa Council. It is like putting a tortoise in a group of rabbit. Totally different background and specialty. Honestly.
Tapi with such a statement from Prof. Dr, it kinda shows he didnt do extensive research except for, perhaps, googling 'yoga and hinduism'. Kalau benarlah NFC melakukan penyelidikan (dgn memahamai yoga dengan lebih mendalam TANPA memesongkan akidah), sudah pasti kenyataan tersebut tidak akan diberi. To say that Christianity is not inline with Islam, a muslim scholar would HAVE to properly study christianity first and not just take things at first glance. Right?
2. Tomboys, pengkids, lesbians, gambling (buying 4D), drinking, corruption, transvestites and other vices are already disallowed in Islam at the first place as already contradict with the basic rule of Islam. The rule is already there, like I said.. clarified 1400 year before.. non-muslim of course not knowing all Islamic rule..
True everyone. I dont mind non-muslims comment. Like someone said, its our responsibility to educate. Those things mentioned are clearly haram. We dont need a fatwa for that.Borderline stuff like, smoking. It was NEVER clear if it was halal, makruh (not halal nor haram) or haram
3. Being at gym, swimming pool, tv programme even for everyday activities…Code of dressing… Basic rule of ‘aurat’ in Islam already there.. ‘Muhrim’ concept is applied too..
Agree. we (muslims) follow or not is our problem with *Ehem*
4. Being a Muslim is to follow Islamic law. Non-muslim is not bounded to this law & of course has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION IT. Ban Ban, you should be banned as your nick name of questioning Prophet Muhammad in that way... RESPECT other people believes.
No Muslim. It is ok for them to question. We tell them what its all about lah. Isnt that how we make them love us muslims cause we are patient and understanding? Questionlah, why got 4 wives, why is it ok to have 4, why not 5, why we fast one whole day no eat or drink. wah liau. crazy fast ah?. let them ask. We should love to share our religion with them. I bet they are confused by these fatwas. takper. teach/inform them so they understand us better.simple.
5. Muslim is to follow Islamic Law & Non-muslim is up to their own law. Law is to be followed to make this world a better place to live on. But there are still people who like to break the law which is individually matter of aspect.
No komen although I feel we should just have one law for all. Seriously the only thing i hear from syariah court is divorce cases and maybe ajaran sesat cases. Did you know we have just and fair rules for divorces? Say, if you want to divorce your wife, and she's pregnant, you gotta wait till she gives birth then you can only divorce, and after that you pay childcare. Now I KNOW non-muslims will say, "oh you say islam is just, but why this happen etc. etc." . simple. Islam is perfect. it's a perfect religion. Who messes it up? Humans who are imperfect.I think there is a phrase to this. Truth comes from God (Allah), Bad comes from us (humans)... me thinks..
6. It is no longer about the law BUT it is all about the enforcement, implementation and individual level of believe. Ikanez quote “…has been fatwa-ed as haram, but yet people still do it…” same goes to every corruption activities all over our country.
True. enforcement poor. but cant expect JAKIM to walkabout the city fining people..i guess
7. Before accusing the council being narrow minded / pemikiran sempit and asking them to open their eyes, please do consult with the council to get the whole picture rather than just based on Malaysiakini kinda source or other individual opinion.. or just wait the related fatwa to come out first.. then feel free to judge it.
Muslim, I base on his statement. If it was taken out of context, then they should hire a PR officer to deal with the press. Like many other politicians must do. Sometimes they think what they say is smart, but when it comes out in the news, aiyoyo. For Prof Dr to say that solat itself is enough (for health). I cant say I agree. Of course you can solat all day all night, thats really a workout but whatabout other cases? obesity? physiotherapy? So cant be absolutely right.. right? It does show that they should get out more oftenlah. in my opinion
8. On the issues of minyak urut, chinese herbs, belachan, parameswara, language and whatever come from old heritage or other part of this world.. it is all can be used if not against the Islamic law, rule, guidance.. Only people with no clue on Islam will mix it all..
Hah! I disagree on this. The basis of his statement is that yoga is linked to hinduism. How about qigong to taoisme, or buddhism, or taichi too. Or silat to bida'ah (tangkal, jampi, mambang tanah air udara etc). like the ones I've mentioned, how we practise them in the PRESENT is not against islamic law. Pagi pagi buat taichi. solat je la cukupkan..but.. taichi pun best jugak.. how? If so, I'll go over the top, tell the children dont need karate or tae kwon do. Solat is enough. I guess.
9. What the most important thing is, new fatwa only will come out case by case especially on unclear issue on the new world civilization.. (e.g. drug position, in-vitro baby, botox)..
But I will disagree if they do not show enough proof or a clear argument. Seriously. Pakai seluar boleh difatwakan. Might as well you attack the whole female attire. It does not make sense. I know it is wrong untuk memakai sesuatu yang menjolokkan mata, but is that not enough?? If you were pants, and they are tight. It is menjolokkan mata. its already very obvious like 'haram' right? so why do you need to fatwa that? it is just 'illogic'. I'm not mixing it up. I hope you follow this argument. We tell non-muslims we fatwa on things that are unclear when it is very clear in our religion that dressing scandalously is wrong. It is as though rather than give it up for debate/discussion, lets just fatwa it up as 'no. no pants. period'. Now, doesnt show that we're so smart do we?
I think the Fatwa council needs to do a little bit of PR, cause from the looks of it now, they dont seem to care how their justifications paint a narrow-minded image for Islam. Surely if they had one PR officer who checks 'yoga haram' on google, they can address it easily with just ONE press statement pronto. Cause now what happens? non muslims tie corruption, pilih kasih (heck, every race is pilih kasih la!) to "need to be fatwa-ed", we muslims try to defend to the best of our efforts and the public think they are morons (quoted from another comment).
phew. that was long. sila jawab sila jawab.
Dear MM,
As I feel it, now you have opened a door for people to question the National Fatwa Council’s proposed ruling is right or wrong. You'll have controversy looming about us just when we don't need that.
I opine the fatwa was a political statement of no help to enlisted Muslims, and should never have been sought because the scholars could have come to a completely different conclusion.
Many of us know that yoga is not a religion. Rather, it is a set of techniques and skills that enhance the practice of any religion. If I may guess so, yoga arose from the matrix of the Hindu world.
Like India's other gifts to world civilization, for example, the system of place notation on which all mathematics depends, yoga is not tied to the Hindu religion but has a universal applicability. It helps one to follow one's own religion better whatever that may be. It has certain specific affinities with Islam that make for an interesting study.
It can be valid and beneficial for Muslims to learn yoga, not as their spiritual path as such, but as a valuable adjunct to the spiritual path of Islam. Islam is a complete, integral spiritual path, so yoga is no substitute for any Islamic requirement. The Prophet said that wisdom is the believer's stray camel: wherever he finds it he will recognize it (and claim his right to it). Right?
May Allah guide all of us to the right path!
If prayers are the only thing you need to be healthy, why are there so many unhealthy Muslims? Is this an indication that they don't pray? If all you need do is pray, why do sports or eat healthily?....????
it is proven that if we as muslim obey the correct rule and posture during solat will improve health (the research has been conducted in Malaysia n around the world)....
same concept with yoga, u still need to eat healthy and perform exercise like yoga to keep u fit...it is all about balancing in our lifestyle
and there are also researches conduct on healthy diet in Islamic perspective...
my opinion is SOLAT can give us benefit as yoga...lagipun kita ada solat sunat yang boleh dikerjakan sebagai tambahan untuk meningkatkan kesihatan bdn...
solat juga merangkumi pergerakan, postur and recitation like yoga
To muslim(the commenter),
I do not mean to quarrel but to discuss only. Ok, i'll use logical demonstration again.
According to you:
"4. Being a Muslim is to follow Islamic law. Non-muslim is not bounded to this law & of course has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION IT. Ban Ban, you should be banned as your nick name of questioning Prophet Muhammad in that way... RESPECT other people believes."
1. In fact i'm just discussing/questioning openly, but this formula
Reasoning = Questioning -> Challenging
is proved to be correct.
2. A normal person will answer a question calmly.
3. A person is angry because he/she is challenged.
4. I was told that i should respect the other religions, because i am not respecting him/her/them, and he/she/they are challenged by my reasoning/questioning.
5. Hence, my reasoning has become challenging the Prophet Muhammad.
6. Next, you say non-muslim OF COURSE (sorry, i have to highlight it) has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION (sorry, i have to highlight again) Islamic law(s).
7. Does Quran say that non-muslim has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION about the Islam or Islamic laws?
8. Does any wise man say that non-muslim has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION about the Islam or Islamic laws?
9. So, are you talking on behalf of behalf of the holy Quran?
10. Or, are you wise enough to say so?
Hence, i conclude that you are just talking from your point of view, but not from the point of view of the holy Quran.
Ok, i admit this reply is a bit fiery, but this is how the real discussion should be. Should everybody still be calm at this moment.
Please forgive me if i've offended anyone.
"Ready to criticize, and ready to be criticized."
The rationale for the "proposal" to enact a fatwa for Muslims to stop practising yoga for fear that it could deviate them from their belief should also be applied to football.
Using the same logic, a number of Malaysians (both men & women and includes people of the Muslim faith), follow EPL and other foreign football league teams in a "religious" manner, putting aside Saturday night activities and family duties for 90 mins of live telecast (and sometimes more) and more discourse during the week. In fact, some may even put in a friendly wager now and then.
These followers of the "faith" with "shrines" having names like "Theatre of Dreams", "The Kop", "Stadium of Light", etc and glorify certain individuals with exotic names like Cristiano, Stevie, Robbie, etc.
For some followers of this pseudo-religion, winning is not everything - it is the only thing !!!
I hope the NFC does its research on this and issues its clarification. If football is not considered deviant, then I don't see how yoga-for-fitness is.
This is the 21st Century.
To Double Ban (and to All which may interested),
a. Your latest quote:
"5. Hence, my reasoning has become challenging the Prophet Muhammad."
My answer:
Your previous statement which I referred to was
"Ok, shall i discuss, that before Prophet Muhammad, and after Prophet Muhammad, there is no any wise man in the world?"
which are totally unmatched with your "Reasoning = questioning -> challenging? "
There is a boundary between challenging and insulting.. from that the 'RESPECT' word come into picture..
b. Your latest quote,
"6. Next, you say non-muslim OF COURSE (sorry, i have to highlight it) has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION (sorry, i have to highlight again) Islamic law(s).
7. Does Quran say that non-muslim has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION about the Islam or Islamic laws?
8. Does any wise man say that non-muslim has NO RIGHT TO QUESTION about the Islam or Islamic laws?"
My answer:
There are recital from Quran asking for Muslims to be with Islam, and let the non-muslim with their believe (not to interfere their believe).. Surah Al-Kafirun
I conclude as:
Level of questioning shall be in a appropriate manner not to a microscopic level (even everyone should have some respect on questioning on 'rumahtangga org', isn't it..)
Asking for detail of something is not enough to be replied in our writing only..
In our 'forum' here, should be brief question replied with answer.
Once again, there is a boundary between challenging, questioning and insulting.. can we cal the boundary as 'RESPECT'..
Note:
bergen, your explanation on what is Fatwa is very useful for all.. the key of our issue, for everyone who wish to understand..
Read this: http://www.islamonline.net/english/Science/2001/01/article6.shtml "The “Yoga” of Islamic Prayer" ... The truth is one....but it is the human factor that we splits things and say this is yours and mine.
Dear MM,
For everything that is Haram in Islam, there must be a perfectly good explanation for it. Eventhough there are some which, due to my own ignorant, I don't have the explanation, for example, why does Islam forbid us from eating 'haiwan dua alam'? As a moslem, i accept it in good faith, because that's part of the test that a moslem has to endure in life.
In this yoga case, we have not heard the full explanation yet from Majlis Fatwa. Why are we so quick to judge? Of course, there are some explanation which we may not be able to accept, especially those that require changes to our lifestyle. Islam provides for you to challenge in a healthy debate.
I would reserve judgement until I hear the full explanation.
To lifejuicer: christianity is based on foundation of our ressurected savior, Jesus Christ. His teaching was simple:"Love your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself." (neighbor here means friends, relatives, co-workers and strangers)
Besides, His apostles also taught that we can do anything but not everything we do brings benefits to us or others. Hence we need to do things based on Jesus' teaching.
In this regard, if one thinks yoga is not beneficial, stop practising it; otherwise the person may carry out the practice without any loss in faith or place in heaven. After all, we are allowed to think and to judge what is good and what is bad for us ^_^
Dear MM,
Thank you for posting this entry in your blog.
I am a Muslim. I must confess, for health reasons, I have taken yoga and tai chi lessons as well as going for traditional massages, which have helped improve my wellbeing and this includes putting an end to my reliance on Viagra.
In light of the above, I wonder if the National Fatwa Council will give due consideration and respect to people like me? I pray that massage will not be the next target of NFC or else I don't know what to do or where to seek help to maintain my present health condition.
Please don't feel offended as this is concerning me and others who may have the same situation.
I totally agree, Datuk!
Why do they come out with lame issues of Tomboys, Yogas etc...when they shud put their mind into something more proactive.
I doubt Yoga can effect your aqidah. It's all up in the head & mind.
Cheers!!
It was such a stupid statement that u only need solah for health. The prophet did talk something about riding horses, swimming and archery. However i beg to differ that The Fatwa council should come out with fatwas on corruption, violence against women, cheating etc. These are clear and u dont need fatwa on them . The purpose of Majlis Fatwa is TO GIVE FATWA ON things which are NOT CLEAR HARAM or HALAL. For example, they dont have to give fatwa/s on TUDUNG because the hukum is clear. Or maybe its not clear for u and u need fatwa on that?
For your info, fatwa is being issued when there is no clear guideline on the subject matter. Corruption, as you mentioned and buying 4D, drinking liquor and any other vice activities as the publicprosecutor said are very clearly forbidden in Islam, thus Haram. As such, you do not need fatwa for that.
I do not intent to comment on your opinion on these issues because of your shallow understanding on Islam, which I believe you are not ready to open up your mind to accept any opinion which is not in line with what you thought the way Islam should be.
Yoga as a form of exercise, stress relieve and health therapy is sadly misunderstood by some quarters particularly from the Muslim and Christian faiths.
The great ancient Indian & Chinese civilizations had given the world much knowledge in likes of yoga, qicong, ayurveda, siddha medicine,TCM (|Traditional Chinese Medicine - which includes acupuncture) - all of which the modern world is now only discovering and starting to back up with research.
Yoga in particular as promoted and practiced today is totally devoid of religious elements.
In UK for example, Yoga is part of the alternative therapies offered in the NHS (National Health Scheme). Check it out on:
http://www.nhsdirectory.org/default.aspx?page=YogaTherapy&t=y
Nearly all the Stretching exercises in our PE classes, gyms, athletes, Physiotherapy can be traced back to the yoga poses but in a much simplified form. Pilates also had its origins from yoga.
May wisdom prevail in our beloved society.
angieY
somebody give this Fatwa men a razor blade /scissor they looked ugly without trimming and with their black minang songkok.
Yoga is only a form of exercise nothing religious about it just like qi qong also.
Tomboy is a wrong word for a sporty girl . we want our girls sporty and healthy not obese hidden underneath the big oversize
baju kurung.
nothing wrong with baju kurung or tudung in fact they will look very nice they wear it correctly .
is there a different/new connotation of the term "tomboy" in Malaysia that we all should know about?
In Malaysia, the best brains get sent overseas to study-engineering, medicine, etc. Whereas in the rural areas, the rest who do not belong to this 'pinacle', continue to study amongst an almost 100% Malay-Muslim crowd. The more fortunate ones may get a scholarship to study in some boarding school/college which is, again, 100% Malay-Muslim. Some of those who are left behind may opt for some Islamic studies major in some Middle-eastern country. Then they return home to be our spiritual leaders. Is there a wonder that we have the level of intolerence that we are having now?
"One man's meat may be another man's poison"
But pray let it not be another man's prison
As a sign of mutual respect let each one for his own reason
Choose freely whatever is considered best for each passing season
(C) Samuel Goh Kim Eng - 011108
http://MotivationInMotion.blogspot.com
Mon. 3rd Nov. 2008.
Salam to all:
Surah al-Kafiroon.
For those who don't know Surah Al-Kafirun (109), here is the translation and commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali:
The Disbelievers
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
[109:1]
Say : O ye that reject Faith!
[109:2]
I worship not that which ye worship,
[109:3]
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
[109:4]
And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship,
[109:5]
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
[109:6]
To you be your Way, and to me mine.
* v.1 : Faith is a matter of personal conviction, and does not depend on worldly motives. Worship should depend on pure and sincere Faith, but often does not: for motives of worldly gain, ancestral custom, social conventions or imitative instincts, or a lethargic instinct to shrink from enquiring into the real significance of solemn acts and the motives behind them, reduce a great deal of the world’s worship to sin, selfishness, or futility. Symbolic idols may themselves be merely instruments for safeguarding the privileges of a selfish priestly class, or the ambitions, greed, or lust of private individuals. Hence the insistence of Islam and its Prophet on the pure worship of the One True God. The Prophet firmly resisted all appeals to worldly motives, and stood firm to his Message of eternal Unity.
* v.3 : Verses 2-3 describe the conditions as they were at the time when this Sura was revealed, and may be freely paraphrased: ’I am a worshipper of the One True God, the Lord of all, of you as well as of myself; but you on account of your vested interests have not the will to give up your false worship, of idols and self’. Verses 4-5 describe the psychological reasons: I, being a prophet of Allah do not and cannot possibly desire to follow your false ancestral ways; and you, as custodians of the false worship, have not the will to give up your ways of worship, which are wrong’. The "will" in the translation represents less the future tense than the will, the desire, the psychological possibility: it tries to reproduce the Arabic noun-agent.
* v.6 : ’I, having been given the Truth, cannot come to your false ways: you, having your vested interests, will not give them up. For your ways the responsibility is yours: I have shown you the Truth. For my ways the responsibility is mine: you have no right to ask me to abandon the Truth. Your persecutions will be vain: the Truth must prevail in the end’. This was the attitude of Faith then: but it is true for all time. Hold fast to Truth, "in scorn of consequence".
Translations of the Quran in 25 languages may be found at www.altafsir.com.
Dear Marina,
I thank you for your wonderful insight as always, especially on Yoga.
I am a Malay Muslim girl who has been practicing yoga for the past 8 years and have been teaching yoga for more than 6 years now.
I have addressed this issue and my frustration in my blog. To my surprise, 30% of the comments I got (I assume 80% of my average 1,000 readers-a-day are Malays) condemned me for 'kalau kita tak dengar kata Mufti, nak dengar kata siapa lagi', labeling me as Murtad for preaching yoga all this while, saying 'since yoga is haram, my food, my car and everything else is haram as well as they were from yoga money'.
I thought Malay practicing Muslims are kind, caring and thoughtful: to help their sister whose bread, butter and all spine are yoga? Sedih, saudara seagama seakan gembira menambah petrol dalam kemaraan api mereka yang cuba menutup dan menghanguskan periuk nasi saya dan sumber kesihatan serta ketenangan pengamal Yoga lain.
I am done with being mad,
now I am just sad.
Is it too hard to comprehend that
'Yoga is NOT a religion
and they are NOT God'?
That if we don't do something to stop this now, in no time Muslims will be banned from any Eastern sports, eating at Indian owned eateries and maybe going to the cinema too.
I'd like to still hope in Malaysia,
as much as I hope all the 12 Muftis combined are smarter than a Johor Mufti, UKM profesor and JAKIM deputy-director. Till they announce it haram or otherwise on November 7th, I will keep on fighting and stand in what I believe (right and beneficial to everyone).
By the way, the UKM profesor himself left a comment in my blog (entry urging them to retract their statement until Fatwa Council announces the outcome on 7 Nov) stating that, he only advised Muslims to review their yoga practice but it was the Mufti Johor who declared Yoga is Haram long before the Fatwa Council officiated it.
Thank you for making our voices heard, Marina.
Berani kerana benar,
Ninie Ahmad
ninie.ahmad@gmail.com
http://theyogainstructordiaries.blogspot.com
Phew! If a fatwa on something which is enjoyed and practised by a few can pump up the jam some, it chills me spine should a fatwa be made on say, current style of politicking in Malaysia. Condemning it as haram. That would be the day.
I don't dig yoga. Kamasutra, maybe.
dear auntie marina,
just wanted to give my opinion with you. fight for freedom of speech, auntie!
please don't publish it. ha ha ha!!!
meriza
I'm watching the US Elections closely. In fact, as I am typing this blog entry, I'm tuned to CNN for the latest coverage on the US Elections. I'm a liberal-moderate, neither too left, nor too right. I don't believe in punishing the Brits like to say, 'fat cats' for their risk-taking courage and entrepreneurship, nor I am an ardent supporter of absolutely free markets. We've seen what that's done to the US (and world economy!) I believe that the rich should have a social-conscience, to VOLUNTARILY donate their wealth and time to give back to society that allows them to be rich in the first place. I believe in accountability and transparency in the markets and fair play. There should be regulations when someone/company does go too far with their priviledges (that could lead in controlling the media, encouraging monopolies, unfair gameplay in business, etc). And I absolutely don't give a shit about social class. I am an ardent supporter of free speech, individual rights and social mobility, and the presence of social class doesn't allow for absolute social mobility.
Sometimes I go on my rounds to Islamic forums, because I'm Muslim. I'm Muslim because I absolutely believe that there is ONLY ONE God, and that Muhammad (pbuh) is indeed the Prophet of God. To be honest, at the current state AND behaviour of some Muslims, there's nothing to be proud of with this Great religion. Especially, those idealistic Muslims who claim that they (whoever they are) posses the ultimate Truth. Welcome to brain control and Communism.
What these Muslims do not realize is, by living in this country (and many Western countries) is that they don't get prosecuted for behaving in their cultish behaviour, by voicing out their often backward and narrowminded opinions. Do they get denied education, medical, property ownership or employment for being Cultish-Muslim? NO!
My anger all starts from the recent fatwa (religious ruling) that bans yoga. To the extend of one mufti says that a Muslim must repent to God for doing yoga (excecising and maintaing good health) and completely stop it. What a complete moron! Yes, you saw it right. I call this particular mufti a complete moron. Just because he is a mufti, he doesn't automatically warrant my respect. What more with absolutely ridiculous fatwa banning yoga (as a deviation from basic beliefs of Islam). Bullshit! I practice yoga/pilates 3 or 4 or 5 times a week, and I don't feel that my aqidah is threatened.
Now, do you see, my friends? Do you see, that if you give these morons a powerful authority to control the minds of Muslims in Malaysia we have no different than a COMMUNIST state? Don't you see, that a liberal-moderate like me will be prosecuted for being a heretic and be kicked out from my religion?
I was fortunate enough to be studying at a prestigious institution called University College London. The foundation of UCL is that it was built because those in UK at that time, had been denied to presigious institutions of Oxford or Cambridge unless you are an Anglican Christian. So fuck your education goodbye if you're not one.
So, what if the tables were turned around, my fellow Muslims, and that happens to you? So, if you use your God given brain and grow an own opinion, you WILL be prosecuted for it. First, they call you a heretic, call you all sort of uneasy degrading names (as a Muslim). Then what? Denied an education? Denied the right to own property? Denied to employment?
Think about it!
Elok puan tutup aurat dulu.
Puan menunjukkan satu contoh yang tidak baik.
Ramai orang memerhati akan puan, projecting as a good person, disisi Allah SWT puan tidak layak. Sehelai rambut yang nampak melayakkan puan kedalam api neraka
Kak Marina and all other readers, typical Malaysian behaviour reflects here...cepat melatah. I'm no good in commenting all this but I was on your side for a while, mean what part of yoga that can sway my belief from Islam? although I admit when practising one, I refuse to recite the mantra which I do not understand in the first place. It just doesn't seem right.
However, after reading this blog http://pukullima.blogspot.com/ on her take on banning of yoga. I guess it does make sense. There is so much devotion needed for you to reach higher state of the practise..not to mention reciting the mantra in Hindu. I am not against any religion for that matter, but if ever in doubt of what it really means, I'll avoid it.
as mentioned in the blog..there are other alternatives and from her point of view (which does make sense) the aurat part...
hhmm...my 2 cents
sigh... why is it that people can't do whatever they want?
as long as they don't harm others, leave them be..
Let tomboys be tomboys,
Let lesbians be lesbians. (seriously, its not like sexual preference is even a choice anyway)
If it is such a sin, do not fear, your god will punish them in the afterlife.
Why can't everyone else mind their own business?
and no, I'm not gay/lesbian. :)
If you think yoga is wrong, don't do it. Let others who think otherwise do.
have a nice day!
For non Muslim out there, it is OK to question what it actually happen inside and we as a true Muslim should explain it clearly but in open minded and in plain for easy understanding.
And a piece of reminder,make
joke about Muslim rule in here it totally unacceptable and I would say outrageous, please mind with yours words. Hopefully u can understand we Muslim would never question what happening of other religious due to spirit of Multiracial country.
For Marina Mahathir,
due to your statement
"If prayers are the only thing you need to be healthy, why are there so many unhealthy Muslims? Is this an indication that they don't pray? If all you need do is pray, why do sports or eat healthily?"
Before u dare to comment it. Have u ever perform / taste the true of Solat? How good / Kusyuk is your Solat? .How about Puasa which is scientifically proven on it benefit? Islam dictates 5 times minimum daily to performed Solat and Islam also encourages Muslim to participate in Sport.
As well as those article of yours regarding one who have no religious knowledge must use their conscience in order to segregrate the good and bads.
Poor you, our god have given you an ability to look for true knowledge of Islam, your mind, your physicals. Why there is an excuse. Look for it.In Islam, argue the rules with your own sense will drift you away from Islam.
For those Yoga practitioners, please, before u condemning the Fatwa the credibility of panels, bear in mind, please have a time to make an homework about Yoga itself
Although u strongly stand for unproven claimed as it good for your health, healed your illness but still, remember if your action permitted other religions you are one of them.
For Ben,
Muslim is govern in principle as we are brother to each other, we care each other, ignorant will drift you away from our principle and it ourjob as a true Muslim to
deliver/remind.
For those of you, still confuse the history of Yoga, below are brief about Yoga. You guys can get the details through uncle google
Yoga (Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, IPA: [joːgə]) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India; to the goal achieved by those disciplines; and to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy.
Major branches of yoga include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition.Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,and is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite".Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means". Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. A practitioner of Yoga is called a Yogi (gender neutral) or Yogini (feminine form).
Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions.The influence of Yoga is also visible in Buddhism, a descendant of Hinduism, which is distinguished by its austerities, spiritual exercises, and trance states.
We as a Muslim as been order by our Mighty God via Prophet Muhammad SAW not to do same as theirs {Al-Kafiroun}
For Ben,
Muslim is govern in principle as we are brother to each other, we care each other, ignorant will drift you away from our principle and it ourjob as a true Muslim to
deliver/remind.
For those of you, still confuse the history of Yoga, below are brief about Yoga. You guys can get the details through uncle google
Yoga (Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, IPA: [joːgə]) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India; to the goal achieved by those disciplines; and to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy.
Major branches of yoga include Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, and Hatha Yoga. Raja Yoga, compiled in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, and known simply as yoga in the context of Hindu philosophy, is part of the Samkhya tradition.Many other Hindu texts discuss aspects of yoga, including the Vedas, Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Shiva Samhita and various Tantras.
The Sanskrit word yoga has many meanings,and is derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, meaning "to control", "to yoke" or "to unite".Translations include "joining", "uniting", "union", "conjunction", and "means". Outside India, the term yoga is typically associated with Hatha Yoga and its asanas (postures) or as a form of exercise. A practitioner of Yoga is called a Yogi (gender neutral) or Yogini (feminine form).
Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions.The influence of Yoga is also visible in Buddhism, a descendant of Hinduism, which is distinguished by its austerities, spiritual exercises, and trance states.
We as a Muslim as been order by our Mighty God via Prophet Muhammad SAW not to do same as theirs {Al-Kafiroun}
For those of you still doubt in you mind below are the statement from Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, islamonline.net. :
Is Yoga permissible or not?
Answer: Wa`alykum As-Salaamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuh.
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 in Islam, we would like to thank you for showing keenness on knowing the teachings of Islam, and we appreciate the great confidence you have in us. We hope our efforts meet your expectations.
With regard to your question, Sports are basically Halal and permitted in Islam as long as they do not encompass forbidden acts. As for Yoga, it contains certain religious rituals aiming at educating and disciplining the soul. Moreover, those who practice it claim that there is a spiritual contact between them and some hidden spirits in which they themselves believe. Given all this, practicing Yoga by Muslims is Haram.
Then you guys up to u to decide your path.
An update on the medical, therapeutic and wellness applications and benefits of yoga, please see my photoblog at
http://www.aginghippietales.blogspot.com
Fidel
"I'm just waiting for the National Fatwa Council to come out with fatwas against corruption, violence against women, cheating etc. Instead they have these."
ahha...do we need to make fatwa about this matter coz i knew about it since i was a little kid. of course all these (wut u mention) are Haram!don't u learned it?people said fatwa people should try yoga, well, why don u try learned Islam better, then u know wut they (Fatwa council) think...
Just wish to mention something here. Most that are plying their trade in the streets of Chow Kit are transsexuals, not transvestites. And they are already discriminated, stigmatized and prejudiced, resulting in their failures to land decent jobs, housing and everything. It is due to a fatwa too, back in 1983.
Transsexuals are a body and mind issue, not a clothes issue like transvestites. So to speak of them as "men dressing up as women" is at best degrading. Please separate the two different identities. Gender, sex, identity and orientation is very diversed indeed. Thank you for understanding.
I think what the council is trying to say is: "Hate and Destroy Hinduism", but not in so many words, cos its not kosher and they know of the international backlash.
I think what the council really wanted to say was "Lets destroy Hinduism". But they really can't say it because its not kosher and the international backlash they will be facing.
Its been done before, albeit crudely and slipshod, so they know the consequences. This is a new and innovative approach.
Heck, I just saw this a few minutes ago on the BBC website!
'Doing yoga saved my broken back'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7547371.stm
Real life story of a professor in foetal and maternal health at Manchester University.
Time to Fatwa TV! No TV no Bad Influence.
Advised to cut any contact with the world. Oh wait, you need to get groceries too.
Well, no offense to those who implement these rules but, don't tie anything to everything. If you start doing that, little will we know, soon nothing is allowed to be done because everything can lead you to evil/bad things and everything can lead you to doing good too.
For all, look on both side of the fence. =)
All of you,why are you guys are wasting your time debating here?Yoga is definitely associated with hinduism and hinduism being the oldest religion in the world is a rich philosophy than a religion.There is no such thing as conversion in hinduism lah guys.So those who belong to faiths which feel insecure, please refrain from yoga or even associating yourselves with those who call themselves as hindus.Please leave yoga alone,it never forces anyone to follow it.
Time to fatwa the fatwa council and tell them to take the fatwa and fatwa it where the sun don't shine.
These fatwa's are losing credibility pretty quick if you ask me.
I can't believe that in this day and age, you guys listen to these complete whackjobs!
petikan dari khutbah terakhir Rasulullah s.a.w....berwaspadalah terhadap syaitan demi keselamatan agama kamu dia telah berputus asa untok menyesatkan kamu dalam perkara perkara besar maka berjaga jagalah supaya kamu tidak mengikuti nya dalam perkara perkara kecil
apakah perkara kecil yang di maksudkan oleh Rasulullah s.a.w
adakah perkara saperti senaman yoga ini perkara kecil
adakah perkara tomboy ini perkara kecil
adakah memakai condom untok mengelakan aids ini perkara kecil
maaf aku bertanya
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