Did I Commit Kufr By Looking At Yoga?
Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Question
My gym teacher wanted us to perform a yoga workout at home while following a video he sent us. I emailed him and told him it is against my religion to practice yoga, so he told me it is okay for me to not do it but to just watch the video.
I know it’s not good to look at haram, so I planned to watch the parts of the video where the person is not doing yoga at the moment and to look away when they are and then tell my teacher I partially watched the video so it’ll be truthful. However, I would unintentionally glance at the yoga parts, and I sought forgiveness for it.
Then I had a thought such as “should you have said astaghfirullah?” And I strongly replied to the thought “yes! It is sin!” Then I realised that unintentional glances at haram things is not sinful as Allah is Most Merciful. I feel as if I have made the lawful into the unlawful and the unlawful into the lawful. Did I commit kufr?
Answer
I pray you are well.
No, you have not committed kufr. Leaving Islam entails rejecting the truths that make one a Muslim in the first place. (Tahawi, Bayan ‘Aqida Ahl al Sunna)
Practicing Yoga
Yoga was developed as a form of physical conditioning, but it did have some elements of worshipping others besides Allah. For that reason, unrestricted practice of it is a problem.
However, if one was to practice Yoga without the exercises that have religious elements, and just as a form of physical culture it would be permissible. It would also be permissible to watch someone of the same gender demonstrate the poses as long as their ‘awra was properly covered.
Benefiting From Everything
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ”Wisdom is the lost property of the believer: he picks it up wherever he finds it. If there’s benefit in something profit from it with the intention of pleasing Allah. You’ll benefit and be rewarded for it.
May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History, he moved to Damascus in 2007, where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital. He was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.
