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Is Yoga Haram?

Yoga with chanting, mantras or other rituals is haram, but scholars differ on yoga as pure exercise. See what MUI, Malaysia, IslamQA and others say.

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Short answer

Yoga that includes chanting mantras, meditation on other gods or other religious rituals is haram according to every fatwa body we reviewed. Scholars differ on yoga reduced to stretching and breathing: Indonesia's MUI (2009), Singapore's MUIS and Islamweb permit it as exercise, while Malaysia's National Fatwa Council (2008) told Muslims to avoid it, and IslamQA and South Africa's MJC (2023) say it is not permissible at all.

Yoga classes are everywhere now: gyms, physiotherapy clinics, school PE lessons and countless videos online. Many Muslims enjoy the stretching and breathing, then feel uneasy when a teacher starts chanting "om" or talks about energy and union with the divine. If you have wondered whether you are doing something wrong, you are asking a question that major fatwa bodies have taken seriously, and they do not all give the same answer.

This guide sets out what each position says, who holds it, and the parts everyone agrees on, so you can understand the ruling rather than just hear a yes or no.

Is yoga haram in Islam?

Yoga as a religious practice is haram according to all the scholars and fatwa bodies we reviewed; yoga as plain exercise is where they disagree. Yoga began as a spiritual discipline. Indonesia's Council of Ulama (MUI) notes in its 2009 fatwa that the word comes from the Sanskrit "yuj," which it explains as uniting oneself with God, and that many forms of yoga absorbed Hindu teachings over the centuries.

Because of that history, scholars split yoga into two questions. The first is yoga with its religious parts: mantras, chanting, meditation aimed at union with a deity, or poses performed as worship. Every source below says this is not allowed for a Muslim. The second is yoga stripped down to stretches and breathing for health. Here there are two clear camps, one that permits it and one that says Muslims should stay away from it entirely.

What do fatwa councils say about yoga?

Most of the official bodies below permit yoga as pure exercise, while two of them forbid it in every form. Here is a summary, based on each body's own fatwa or a direct report of it:

Scholar or body Year Yoga with mantras or rituals Yoga as pure exercise
Malaysia's National Fatwa Council 2008 Haram Not declared haram, but Muslims advised to avoid it
Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) 2009 Haram Mubah (permissible)
MUIS (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) 1984 fatwa, advisory updated 2025 Not allowed Allowed for health benefits
Islamweb (fatwa 306781) 2015 Not allowed Allowed, with conditions
A fatwa secretary at Egypt's Dar al-Ifta 2025 Forbidden No objection
Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi Undated Not allowed Safer and more scrupulous to avoid
IslamQA (answer 101591) 2011 Not permissible Not permissible
Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), South Africa 2023 Haram Not permissible

Why did Malaysia ban yoga for Muslims in 2008?

Malaysia's National Fatwa Council said yoga combines physical exercise with religious elements, chanting and worship, and that this could erode a Muslim's faith. The council's chairman, Abdul Shukor Husin, told reporters in November 2008: "For us, yoga destroys a Muslim's faith. There are other ways to get exercise. You can go cycling, swimming and eat less fatty food," as The Guardian reported.

The ruling was more nuanced than the headlines. MUI's 2009 fatwa quotes the same chairman saying that yoga done only as a physical exercise was not itself declared haram, but that Muslims were still advised not to do it, out of concern that it could lead into the full religious practice. Four days after the council's announcement, on November 26, 2008, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Muslims could keep doing yoga as exercise as long as there were no elements of worship or mantras, according to Malaysiakini.

What did Indonesia's MUI rule about yoga in 2009?

Indonesia's MUI ruled in January 2009 that yoga as pure breathing exercise for health is mubah (permissible), while ritual yoga and yoga with mantras are haram. Before issuing its fatwa at Padang Panjang on January 26, 2009, MUI sent a research team to yoga studios and sorted what it found into three types:

  1. Ritual yoga (such as Bhakti yoga), purely Hindu ritual and spirituality: haram.
  2. Yoga with meditation and mantras from another religion: haram, as a preventive measure (sadd al-dhari'ah).
  3. Yoga as pure exercise, breathing and movement for health with no link to any religion: mubah.

MUI still recommended that Muslims avoid exercise classes that include meditation and mantras. Singapore's MUIS takes a similar line. Its advisory says its Fatwa Committee ruled in 1984 that Muslims may not practise yoga in a form containing other faiths' rituals, "such as recitations," but that a Muslim who knowingly practises it for its health and physical benefits, without religious rituals, may do so.

Why do some scholars say all yoga is haram?

Scholars who forbid all yoga argue that its religious roots cannot be separated from its movements, and that copying the worship of another faith is forbidden even in form. IslamQA (answer 101591, 2011) acknowledges that contemporary scholars differ, then concludes that "it is not permissible for the Muslim to practice yoga at all," whether out of belief, imitation, or seeking its supposed benefits. It argues that separating the acceptable parts from the rest is not realistic.

South Africa's Muslim Judicial Council reached the same view in 2023 in a fatwa by Mufti Taha Karaan. It says any yoga with Hindu or Buddhist religious elements is "unambiguously ḥarām," and that even yoga "stripped of all religious elements" is not permissible, because it "remains overwhelmingly reminiscent of Hinduism and Buddhism" and began as a path to moksha. It adds that Muslims "have no dearth of options" for fitness.

Both rely on the hadith "He who copies any people is one of them" (Sunan Abi Dawud 4031, graded hasan sahih by al-Albani). Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, in a fatwa on his official website, says practising yoga with an intention of worship is not allowed, and that even someone who does only the exercises would be safer and more scrupulous to stay away from it.

Why do other scholars allow yoga as exercise?

Scholars who allow it say the ruling follows the practice, not the name: once the worship is removed, what is left is ordinary stretching that people of every nation do. Islamweb (fatwa 306781, 2015) permits yoga-style exercises on four conditions:

  1. They are free of pagan rituals and words.
  2. There is no facing, bowing to or greeting the sun.
  3. The order of poses is changed and new ones added, so it is not an imitation.
  4. They are not done at the times Hindus observe, such as sunrise.

With those conditions, Islamweb says the exercises are no longer "what is known as yoga" but simple exercises, and that remembering Allah and saying tasbih while doing them carries no harm. In March 2025, Dr. Zeinab al-Saeed, a fatwa secretary at Egypt's Dar al-Ifta, said on Al-Nas TV that yoga is forbidden when done within its rituals or with its chants, but that plain movements to relax the body and stretch the muscles carry "no objection," as reported by El Watan.

This view also draws on the general principle that caring for your health is good. The Prophet ﷺ told a Companion who fasted every day and prayed all night: "your body has a right on you" (Sahih al-Bukhari 1975).

What do all scholars agree is haram in yoga?

All the positions above agree that a Muslim may not take part in the worship side of yoga. That includes:

  • Chanting mantras or "om", or reciting words from another religion's rituals
  • Meditation aimed at union with a deity or any being other than Allah
  • Poses performed as worship, such as bowing to the sun as a devotion
  • Yoga held as a religious rite, such as devotional (Bhakti) yoga

The Qur'an tells believers: "do not mix the truth with falsehood" (Qur'an 2:42), one of the verses MUI cites in its fatwa. For the same reason, joining another faith's festival rites is off-limits, as our guide on whether celebrating Diwali is haram explains.

How can a Muslim stretch and exercise without the religious parts?

If you follow the view that permits exercise, keep it purely physical and drop anything with religious meaning. Practical steps:

  1. Choose a fitness-focused class or video that teaches stretching and breathing without spiritual talk, or call it what it is: stretching.
  2. Skip the chanting. Stay quiet, or say your own dhikr, which Islamweb says carries no harm.
  3. Avoid sun salutations as a ritual, and do not bow toward the sun.
  4. Replace "meditation" with remembrance of Allah. "Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured" (Qur'an 13:28).
  5. Wear modest clothing and choose a setting you are comfortable in.
  6. If you follow the stricter view, choose pilates, mobility routines, swimming or walking instead.

Remember that salah already moves your whole body five times a day, with standing, bowing, prostrating and sitting. If calm and focus are what you are really after, our guide on how to focus in salah is a good place to start. To stay consistent with all five prayers, Salah Home lets you log each prayer with one tap, build a streak and earn Dates to build your own peaceful home.

Frequently asked questions

Is yoga haram in Islam?

Yoga with chanting, mantras or other religious rituals is haram according to all major views. As plain exercise, scholars differ: Indonesia's MUI, Singapore's MUIS and Islamweb permit it, while IslamQA and South Africa's MJC forbid it in every form.

Is it haram to do yoga for exercise only?

Scholars differ. MUI's 2009 fatwa calls yoga as pure breathing exercise for health mubah (permissible), and Islamweb allows it with conditions, while IslamQA says it is "not permissible for the Muslim to practice yoga at all."

Is saying "om" or "namaste" in yoga haram?

Chanting "om" or any mantra is part of the religious side of yoga, which every position above says Muslims must avoid. Stay silent or say your own dhikr instead.

Did Malaysia ban yoga?

Malaysia's National Fatwa Council declared yoga haram for Muslims in November 2008 because it combines exercise with chanting and worship. The ruling is not legally binding, and the prime minister then said Muslims could do it as exercise without worship or mantras.

Is stretching like yoga allowed in Islam?

Yes. Ordinary stretching and breathing exercises are allowed, and Islamweb says yoga-style exercises stop being "yoga" once they are free of rituals, sun-facing gestures and the original sequence of poses.

Sources

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