YOGA-WHAT OTHERS SAY...

khairul sini, apasal kecik sangat space untuk comment dalam blog kau?

pasal yoga tu orang bukan islam tak payah sibuk. gitu gak sis in islam yang jahil pasal islam tak payah bercakap pasal islam. berikut adalah comment yang tak bias daripada orang bukan islam.

From:

"Marhaen Mat Ruzi"

Fatwa on yoga

Posted on November 26, 2008 by brigitterozario

I normally wouldn’t comment on something concerning someone else’s religion but in this case I feel there’s a lot of misunderstanding and confusion.

The National Fatwa Council on Saturday announced a fatwa (edict) on yoga.

I happened to be working that day so I got the raw copy from the reporter. Plus I called her to clarify what the fatwa meant. This is what the council said (according to The Star’s story):

The National Fatwa council has declared that the yoga practice which involves three elements of physical movements, worshipping and chanting as haram (prohibited) in Islam.

Its chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Shukor Husin said although merely doing the physical movements of yoga minus the worshipping and chanting might not be wrong in the eyes of the religion, it should be avoided as “doing one would lead to another”.

He said yoga has been practised by the Hindu community for thousands of years and incorporates physical and religious elements and chants and worshipping, with the aim at “being one with God”.

“Because of this, we believe that it is inappropriate for Muslims to do yoga and the council has declared that practising yoga when it comes all together with the three elements as haram.

“We discourage Muslims to do yoga as a form of exercise because it will ultimately lead to religious worshipping and chanting which is against Islam.

“In Islam, one must not do things which can erode one’s aqidah or faith. Doing yoga, even just the physical movements is a step towards an erosion of one’s faith in the religion, hence Muslims should avoid it,” he told a press conference.

So, I really don’t know why everyone is getting so hot and bothered about the fatwa.

When I read this I understood it meant:

1) Yoga that involves all three elements is haram (prohibited).

2) Yoga where you’re just doing exercise is not encouraged but not prohibited (hence do it with caution because if you’re weak you can go astray).

3) The council at no point said there was an all out ban on yoga.

4) The council took great care and caution in coming out with this fatwa and wording it correctly.

Now, just in case anyone says I have misread the intentions of the National Fatwa Council, I’ve dug this up from Jakim’s website:

Antara perkara yang telah dibincangkan oleh Ahli Majlis Muzakarah Fatwa Kebangsaan yang bersidang pada 22 – 24 Oktober 2008 di Kota Bharu, Kelantan ialah senaman Yoga. Setelah meneliti dan mengkaji hujah-hujah serta pandangan-pandangan yang berkaitan dengan Yoga maka, Ahli Muzakarah berpandangan dan berpendapat bahawa senaman Yoga yang berasal dari masyarakat Hindu sejak sebelum Masihi lagi yang menggabungkan amalan fizikal, unsur-unsur keagamaan, mentera dan pemujaan bagi tujuan tertentu seperti mendapatkan ketenangan dan kemuncaknya, penyatuan diri dengan tuhan atau tujuan-tujuan lain adalah tidak sesuai dan boleh merosakkan akidah seorang muslim.

Oleh itu, Ahli Muzakarah juga bersetuju dan memutuskan apa jua jenis atau bentuk amalan yang mengandungi unsur-unsur tersebut di atas adalah dilarang dan bertentangan dengan syariat Islam. Sementara pergerakan amalan fizikal tanpa unsur-unsur di atas yang dilakukan pada zahirnya tidaklah menjadi kesalahan. Namun demikian, masyarakat Islam dingatkan wajib berhati-hati dam berwaspada dari perkara-perkara yang boleh menghakis akidah seseorang muslim.

Seperti yang kita sedia maklum, perkara-perkara yang boleh menghakis akidah boleh berlaku dengan sebab-sebab berikut:

( 1) kepercayaan atau keyakinan di hati.

(2) menerusi perkataan atau pengakuan dengan lidah.

(3) perbuatan.

Memandangkan terdapat dua elemen tersebut dalam amalan yoga, maka umat Islam wajib memelihara akidah mereka dari terhakis.

Now, a lot of people got all hot and bothered about this fatwa. For some reason they never got beyond the headline on Sunday which basically said “Ban on yoga”.

If you bothered to read the statement or read the article and read the comments by the council chairman properly you will fully grasp what the council intended to do.

This is not another effort by the government to stifle Malaysians etc. Do not get so carried away with all the conspiracy theories and the paranoia.

This is just a fatwa for Muslims as a precaution. Humans are weak and tend to get carried away. Now and then they need a warning or a caution to remind them.

Those who feel the advanced levels of yoga (the exercise) makes them uncomfortable … for whatever reason … will now feel comforted that there’s a fatwa and they will probably stop doing yoga.

Those who are stronger in their faith and are confident that they remain unwavering in their Muslim faith, will in all probability carry on with yoga.

BTW, today the PM has come out and said that yoga with no chanting and no worshipping is perfectly fine.

Well, excuse me, but I believe that’s what the Fatwa Council said in the first place albeit with the cautionary “not encouraged” tag to it.

I really don’t understand why so many people were all defensive and getting so hot under the collar about this. And some of them were non-Muslims too. ??

Nothing to do with non-Muslims. Take a chill pill, sit down, have tea and relax.

Don’t people read and scrutinise comments before reacting?

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Brigitte Rozario has been a journalist in Malaysia for the past 19 years. She is currently with The Star newspaper as Assistant Editor of the New Media desk where she is responsible for sending out SMS news alerts as well as editing and uploading the latest news to The Star online.

Her interests are diverse - from news, sports, technology and current affairs to children’s stories, books, music, hi-fi and cooking.

She also has a professional website and a children’s stories site - Beebo & Friends.

The opinions presented on this blog are Brigitte’s and in no way represent the opinions of The Star.

Brigitte is a diehard insanely mad for Brazil football fan. She aims to go to World Cup 2014 in Brazil.