The Reality of Yoga: Between Physical Exercise and Pagan Rituals

Yoga is sweeping the world today with high prevalence rates, practiced by approximately 15% of American society, and has even entered the curricula of some international schools. But what is yoga in its true essence?

In its core, yoga is not merely physical exercises; rather, it is a Hindu pagan prayer packaged and exported to the world under the guise of sport and mental relaxation. The Hindu seeks proximity through it to their deity named (Shiva), who in their belief is the god of destruction and ruin, which implies an appeasement of demonic forces.

Linguistic and Ritualistic Roots

The word yoga comes from the root (Yoke), meaning union or opening a connection with (Shiva). Among its most important rituals is what is known as (Sun Salutation) or (Surya Namaskar), practiced at sunrise and sunset—the very times the Prophet ﷺ informed us that the sun rises between the two horns of Satan, and at which point the disbelievers prostrate to it.

As for (Hatha Yoga), the most famous type, it means by Hindu consensus the spiritual worship of the planets; where (Ha) symbolizes the sun and (Tha) the moon. Here, the Divine guidance emerges:

{Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.}

Surah Fussilat, Verse 37.

Theological Objectives of Yoga

Yoga promotes two dangerous ideas:

• Pantheism (Wahdat al-Wujud): Deluding the practitioner into believing they are becoming one with the universe or the deity.

• Universal Salvation: Dissolving the differences between religions, suggesting that practicing yoga is sufficient to reach the Truth regardless of belief. This is the ultimate goal of Satan in drying up the sources of religion.

Refuting the Exercise Pretext

Some may object that they practice it as a sport without regard for its polytheistic origins. The response is that its specific movements have devotional meanings inseparable from them, just as bowing and prostration in Islam are not merely exercise. The perceived benefits of yoga are negligible compared to the corruption of Shirk (polytheism) and the imitation of pagans. The Prophet ﷺ said of wine when told it was a medicine: "No, rather it is a disease."

Monotheism (Tawhid) is the purest and most precious possession of a Muslim, and the slightest thing scratches and defiles it, as mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him). Whoever imitates a people is one of them, and it is the duty of the Muslim to be cautious and warn against these pagan paths.