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1) My sister asked me is yoga permissible in Islam?
2) Do dreams before fajar mean anything and if the same dream is repeated twice does that mean that it would come true if the dream happen 3 times?
3) Finally can I give reward to another person? for example when I pray yarseen I give that reward to another person.
Answer :
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatoh
1. Yoga is intimately connected to the religious beliefs and practices of the Indian religions. (The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice By George Feuerstein)
The influence of Yoga is also visible in Buddhism, which is distinguished by its austerities, spiritual exercises, and trance states. (Zen Buddhism: A History ( and ) by Heinrich Dumoulin, James W. Heisig, Paul F. Knitter, pg. 22)
Based upon the fact that Yoga is a spiritual practice of Hindu and Buddhist philosophies, it will not be permissible to practice it in any way, shape or form. Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم clearly mentions the impermissibility of imitating other nations and religions in the following Hadith,
عن ابن عمر قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من تشبه بقوم فهو منهم (ابو داود , 4031)
Ibn Umar (radiyallahu anhu) states that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “Whosoever imitates a nation will be considered among them.” (Abu Dawud, # 4031, Dar al-Fikr)
It is not permissible to attend church on a Sunday, synagogue on a Saturday, celebrate Easter, Christmas or Diwali etc. Similarly, it will be impermissible to carry out Yoga or any other non-Islamic practices or exercises that resemble the form of worship of another religion.
One of the underlying reasons of the prohibition of imitating other religions and groups is that imitation of a people leads to a kind of affinity with them. A link or bond is created with them, which then leads to conformity in morals, actions and dogma. Continued association and alliance will lead to the gradual dissolution of Iman.
Furthermore, there is no need to turn to the spiritual practices of other faiths as Islam is a perfect religion and way of life. Allah Ta’ala who is the Creator of mankind knows what is best for His creation. Islam, as a whole, is a culmination of Allah’s guidance to mankind. To attain physical, mental and spiritual perfection, the aim of Yoga, one need not look beyond the teachings of Islam. Non-Muslims who are bereft of the Islamic tradition and teaching are desperately reaching out for spirituality and contentment of heart since they have failed to find tranquility in their own religions. If a Muslim feels the same deficiency in any one of these aspects of life, he / she has not understood nor practiced Islam correctly and completely. Contentment of heart, peace of mind and serenity rests solely in following the lifestyle designed by Allah Ta’ala for His creation.
Allah Ta’ala states in the Holy Quran,
) أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ (
“Lo, through the remembrance of Allah do hearts find peace.” (13:19)
In conclusion, we would advise any Muslim who wishes to practice Yoga to rather revert his time, effort and energy towards perfecting his or her Iman. This can be achieved with greater ease if a person seeks the assistance of a qualified Shaykh in the field of Tasawwuf.
2. Generally dreams that take place during the latter part of the night / early part of the morning or during the time of Qaylula (forenoon sleep) have a tendency of being more reliable and meaningful. (Dreams and Interpretations of Ibn Sireen, pg. 7, Dar al- Isha’at) The following Hadith indicates to the fact that dreams at the time of Sehri, are more reliable,
عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم قال أصدق الرؤيا بالأسحار
Abu Saeed al-Khudri رضى الله عنه narrates that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم said, “The truest dreams take place at Sehri (pre-dawn)” (Tirmidhi, vol. 2, pg. 53, H. M. Saeed)
However, this is not a hard and fast rule, rather merely a general principle. Every dream seen during these times does not necessarily have to have a significant meaning. Furthermore, it is not necessary that seeing the same dream three times means that it will definitely come true. Dreams are merely a means of glad tiding from the side of Allah Ta’ala to the believers. If one sees a good dream, one should praise Allah and pray that it comes to fruition. One should seek its interpretation by a qualified scholar in the field of dream interpretation who will give a good interpretation of that dream. A person should not seek an interpretation from an unqualified person or from an envious person who holds enmity for him or her.
3. It is permissible and desirable to carry out an act of virtue and thereafter pass its reward to any Muslim, alive or deceased. However, this does not refer to compulsory physical acts of worship such as Fard Salah or fasting etc. (Radd al-Muhtar, vol. 2 pgs. 595-597, H. M. Saeed)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Yusuf bin Yaqub,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In'aamiyyah
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