The Reality of Yoga and the Peril of Emulating Celebrities in Jurisprudential Violations

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed: what is known as "Yoga" is not merely physical exercise as some promote, but rather, in its reality, it consists of Hindu devotional rituals that contradict the foundations of the Islamic creed, necessitating a warning regarding its doctrinal and behavioral dangers.

Doctrinal and Methodological Dangers in Practicing Yoga

• Shirk (Polytheism): Yoga is originally a Hindu worship based on pagan philosophies that are incompatible with the Oneness of Allah (Tawhid).

• Suspension of Intellect: There is a fundamental difference between Islamic meditation (Tadabbur), which enlivens the mind and heart, and Yoga, which is based on stopping and absenting the intellect.

• The Fitnah of Celebrities: A person's fame does not imply infallibility; Truth is not known by men, rather men are known by the Truth. What is forbidden remains forbidden even if the whole world practices it.

• The Danger of Environment and Coexistence: Living in non-Islamic environments may gradually lead one to accept evils and false beliefs under the guise of coexistence, highlighting the importance of caution against trials that touch the essence of religion.