ARE MUSLIMS ALLOWED TO PRACTICE YOGA?

By Andi Abdussalam

 

Jakarta, Nov 29 (ANTARA) - A report that Malaysia's Islamic regulatory body MFKM has banned the practice of Yoga by Muslims has stirred up some public debate in Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

        In Indonesia, where over 80 percent of its 220 million population) profess Islam, yoga is a popular exercise to maintain physical and mental fitness. Many Muslims have joined yoga clubs for the exercises. Indonesian Islamic body MUI has yet taken a decision but says it will look into the matter to decide whether Yoga practice corrupts Muslims' faith.

        AP quoted MUI cleric Ma'ruf as saying Thursday Indonesia's Ulema Council was trying to determine if the ancient Indian practice could corrupt the faith of believers. If the answer is yes, a non-binding edict prohibiting the practice could be issued next month.

        In the face of possible edict to be passed next month by the MUI, Dr Somvir, chairman of the Bali-India Yoga Foundation called on yoga practitioners to remain calm. Dr Somvir, a philosopher and a Yogi from India who teaches spiritual tourism at Denasar-based University of Udhayana, said interfaith leaders in Indonesia would not be affected by negative reports on Yoga.

        "Yoga lovers hold peace and interfaith religious harmony in their highest esteem," he said.

        According to a report by DPA last weekend, Malaysia's Islamic regulating council had issued an edict banning Muslims from practicing yoga.

        The National Fatwa Council issued the ban, saying the practice of yoga involved physical movements, worship and the utterance of chants which were prohibited in Islam.

        Yoga, which originated in India but is widely practiced around the world, is popular among Malaysia's multiracial population. Muslims make up two-thirds of the country's 27 million population.

        The debate was sparked recently when a lecturer of the National University of Malaysia, Zakaria Stapa, said that yoga, which is based on Hindu elements, could affect the faith of Muslims who practice it.

        Indonesian cleric Havizh Ustman who chairs MUI's West Java branch said Muslims could practice yoga as long as it did not involve `syirik' (recognizing other deities beside Allah) elements. "Yoga is an exercise of the body so there is no problem in doing such body workouts," he said.

        The Muslim cleric said there were lots of body exercises apart from Yoga such as martial arts, gymnastics and so forth. "If yoga involves `syirik' elements, it must be banned. But then, even sitting on a prayer rug must also be banned if it involves syirik," he said.

        Ustman said as far as the principles of Islamic law was concerned, Muslims were allowed to do all things that were not explicitly forbidden in any of the verses or articles of Islamic law. "Therefore, Muslims are free to practice yoga as long as it does not involve `syirik," he said.

        About the fact that yoga contained elements of Hinduism and the possibility that such body movements as closing the eyes and controlling the rhythm of one's breath could compromise a person's Muslim faith, he said Muslims could do the exercises while filling their mind with `dzikir' (chants of confession of faith in Allah).

        The Islamic body in neighboring Malaysia had issued the ban - but Muslims there have also been told they can perform yoga as long as they refrain from chanting religious mantras.

        According to Dr Somvir , yoga was a method to improve people's physical, mental and moral conditions so that they could live a healthy life in carrying out their duties without the need to suffer from depression and stress.

        He said yoga had became a practice before the Aryan race came to settle in the Himalayan region. It involves the movements of the body, pranic exercises and the observance of the names of God based on practitioners' respective faith. Yoga never aimed to influence a person to embrace a certain religion.

        Therefore, according to a report, yoga has become a kind of a lifestyle in the world. It has spread in both the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds. As it is a life style that promotes a person's health , yoga clubs and exercise centers have been growing rapidly in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

        In Iran, a country known as a "hard-line" Muslim nation, yoga is also very popular. Even yoga classes for children are to be found there. The same happened in Indonesia. Senior lawyer and presidential adviser Adnan Buyung Nasution is also said to be an avid yoga practitioner to help maintain his health.

        It is in this respect that the Bali-India Foundation devotes itself to help promote healthy life in Indonesia. It will establish cooperation with a number of hospitals in Bali Province to teach yoga to patients and their relatives.

        "Documents of the cooperation agreement with a number of hospitals such as Medistra Hospital have been signed, and hopefully they can be implemented soon," Dr Somvir, the foundation's chairman, said.

        Yoga meditation could help speed up health recovery of patients, he said.

        In addition to hospitals on Bali Island, the foundation has also given yoga exercises to employees of state telecommunication company PT Telkom and state electricity company PT PLN.

        After joining yoga lessons for three months, some 80 percent of cancer, fever, flu and stress patients recovered, he said.

        In order to promote the healing method through yoga, Bali will host an International Yoga Festival next March which will be attended by one thousand yoga instructors from many countries in the world.

        "The festival will be held in Bali for about one week, from March 3 to 10, 2009," Dr Somvir said. ***7*** (T.A014/A/HAJM/17:55/A/O001)29-11-2008 18:25:40