Yoga

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Answer

Yoga is a form of meditation.  If the yoga consists of thinking about a particular God or something, which is not allowed in Islam, then it will not be permissible.  However, if the yoga consists in the form of ‘muraqabah’ practiced in the science of tasawuff, then it will be allowed.

Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) has said ‘to concentrate strongly on a given subject for someone so that a person starts feeling the results inside him, to visualise the matter is called meditation’.  At another point, Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (RA) has said ‘to turn the thoughts with deep concentration towards Allah and His divine attributes or any such subject and to visualise it from the inner depth of your heart is called meditation’.   (Tasawwuf and Character Building p.54)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham