EGYPT: YOGA IS SIN.

[IL CAPO]

Cairo - A recent fatwa, or religious ruling, against yoga in Egypt has alienated even some of the most devout Moslems who have decided to defy the decision.

 

Jihane Babiker, an Egyptian businesswoman who describes herself as "a devout Moslem by conviction", is one. "Without a doubt, I am all for yoga and will unfortunately disregard the fatwa," she says.

 

An ex-model who abandoned her career, donned the veil and holds weekly English language religious sessions with other women, Babiker is frustrated at what she describes as the mufti's "often insufficient responses to people's enquiries".

 

Last week, in response to one enquiry from an unidentified Egyptian, the Grand mufti of Egypt Ali Gomaa declared yoga a sin for Moslems.

 

Link with Hinduism

 

The ruling by the mufti, highest authority on Islamic law, stipulates that yoga is a sin because it "is considered one of the ways of practising Hinduism and therefore should not be used for worship."

 

"Even if Moslems do not know the link with Hinduism, it is a sin," the ruling said. Islam recognises only Christianity and Judaism as religions.

 

Dr Fayza Khater, a professor at al-Azhar University, the seat of Islamic learning, supports the mufti's ruling because it "protects people from deviating from Islam".

 

"People are lost and deviation is very easy. I believe the mufti made the right response," Khater says.

 

However, the tiny community of yoga instructors and practitioners in Egypt is frustrated.

 

Gigi, a 47-year-old Moslem yoga instructor, has been giving yoga lessons in Egypt for 15 years. She says she feels personally targeted by the fatwa and is convinced the mufti "does not know what he is talking about".

 

However, Gigi is submissive about the ruling being yet another "natural development to what we have been witnessing," citing a ruling by the former mufti declaring a handshake between a man and a woman a sin.

 

"Just as men and women did not stop shaking hands, I will not stop practising and teaching yoga," she says defiantly.

 

A fatwa or religious ruling has no bearing on the legal system in Egypt.

 

Benefits to body and mind

 

Gigi gives yoga classes to about 50 people each week, more than half of them Egyptians. Many of her students resort to the practice as part of a healing process from an illness and Gigi is proud to be able to make a difference.

 

In 2001,a conservative Islamic media website, published an article about the similarities between Moslem prayer postures and that of yoga and its benefits to body and mind.

 

"Yoga movements are similar to the Moslem prayer positions. So are prayers a sin?" asks Gigi.

 

Khater argues that instead of yoga, people should just resort to one of Islam's pillars: praying five times a day. "Prophet Mohammed (scw) used to meditate after prayers. There's no need for yoga," he said.

 

P.S and i was thinking about opening a yoga school in Garissa :confused: .

Peace.

[-Serenity-]

OH my! I was planning on joinin Yoga classes this year to overcame the pressure and stress. I dont see how it can be a sin if its practiced for the purpose of destressing and exercising. The fact that it originated from India and indian culture doesnt seem like enough reason to condemn it.

 

Allahu yaclam :confused:

[- Femme -]

^^^ Allah judges you on your intentions and just because some shiek cries out that its haram doesnt make it so.

 

Whats gonna be haram next? Sheesh

[Salma]

Il Capo, kindly when you put a fatwa, speech or a judgment or whateva, put the sheikh's name, his position and from which country he is. Because you don't have to believe any fatwa from anybody and anywhere. Any reader can read these posted fastwas, believe them then practice them. Some of them could be wrong, who will take the responsibility of that ??!!

 

Besides, even if there is a fatwa about the Yoga or anything else, you must put all the details about it. Don't just say there is a recent fatwa. Coz, Nowadays anybody can say this is "xalal" and that's "Xaram". Just we have to know the source first.

 

Femme Fatal: Sheesha & cigartes don't need a fatwa, even the wise non-muslims can take it this way: Everything that harm the health, waste the money, efforts, life and harm the other ppl is not good for the human @ all.

(This is not a fatwa its just a personal belief )

 

Salam

[IL CAPO]

Classique

 

My Sister,the reason why i decided to share this with you is because i thought there was something wrong with this whole fatwa thing particularly whenever it concerns women..

 

a while back there was this Al Ittihad dude who was arguing that to wear a tie is totally "Haram" and imagine he was standing in front of many scholars and i could see some of them were shaking their heads in disgust!

 

so me and few other guys asked him what if it's part of our school uniform or say the company we work for demands us to wear one..guess what he said?------>quit both :eek: .

 

now, i am not the type of guy you would call religious but that doesn't mean i can be taken for a ride especially when i got Al Azhar graduate as a father so it is sad when you have an average young man claiming to be a scholar when he barely knows what Islam is all about and yet is quick to issue a Fatwa on everything he don't understand..

 

 

Personally speaking i don't like the so-called Al Ittihad gang because majority of them got no enough knowledge or nothing at all and no sense of responsibilty because if they did they wouldn't have called me a "Kufr" when they know i am the son of their teacher.

 

they need to relax and loosen up and they definitely need to have a sense of humour and for that I Leave You In Peace My Sister In Islam.

 

W/W/W.

[NGONGE]

^^^ So says the man who just dismissed the “fatwa†of the Grand Mufti of Egypt.

 

If it weren’t sad, it would be laughable.

[- Femme -]

Sheesh

Classique ..looks like I need to be more clear next time. By SHEESH...i meant a great big SIGH with rolling eyes lol

[IL CAPO]

Originally posted by NGONGE:

^^^ So says the man who just dismissed the “fatwa†of the Grand Mufti of Egypt.

 

If it weren’t sad, it would be laughable.

I don't know what your problem is but i am sure it is hard to pronounce!

 

Look Mister...

if they issued Fatwa on Yoga why couldn't they issue one for Hosni Mobarak the man who allowed Egypt a muslim country to have nude public beaches?

 

You can never tell me that doing Yoga is more serious sin than wandering around naked just because the temperatures are few degrees up?

 

 

Sxb remember Whatever began in anger ends in shame

and anger without a reason is folly so take it easy as there is no need for us to clash on every little thing because we are both adults,I think.. and this whole he said she said thing is kind of putting me off and it is childish because i don't know about you but i am a grown man and i have to act like one so Ishia Jo because right now i am on my way to Sokoni to buy myself a pack of Sportsman and 500ml Ginger beer and start ku saga so if you have anything to say please leave a message and we will continue this discussion (i told you before, i don't argue) some other time.

Peace.