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NU: Yoga is permitted

NU Online  ·  Rabu, 26 November 2008 | 03:22 WIB

Bandung, NU Online
Chairman of the law making body of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, KH Hafidz Utsman said that as long as there were no such polytheistic elements, the practice of yoga was permitted.

"Yoga is such physical practices or body workouts. That is why it is ok if we follow the yoga practice," he told NU Online on Tuesday (25/11).<>

Kiai Hafidz was of view there were many physical exercises besides yoga such as gym, marital art, an so on that are basically aimed at making body healthy.

He said that the polytheistic elements could be in various forms including sitting on sajadah (prayer mat) and all this was forbidden.

Dealing with the yoga, kiai Hafidz quoted a religious principle that the default status of things is indifference until the proof indicates prohibition" (al- aslu fil-ashya'i al-ibahatu hatta yadulla al-dalilu `ala al-tahrimi).

As reported, Malaysia's top Islamic body fresh from banning tomboys issued an edict recently that prohibits Muslims from practicing yoga, saying that elements of Hinduism in the ancient Indian exercise could corrupt them.

The National Fatwa Council's chairman, Abdul Shukor Husin, said many Muslims fail to understand that yoga's ultimate aim is to be one with a god of a different religion — an explanation disputed by many practitioners who say yoga need not have a religious element. (mkf)