Should a Pious Muslim Practice Yoga?

To the long list of things that everyone else loves but that Muslims are supposed to hate — democracy, dogs, women with uncovered hair — we can now add yoga. A council of muftis in Malaysia issued a fatwa over the weekend banning yoga for Muslims, claiming that the sweaty ‘Oms’ and other Hindu elements of a standard 60-minute yoga class could “destroy the faith of a Muslim.”

For a moment, this news had me selfishly worried. I’ve been contorting myself into reverse triangle across the Middle East for about a decade, and I fretted that all my favorite yoga centers and teachers might get hassled by morality police types. I also worried about my friends who do yoga — if there is one thing the stressed out populations of cities like Tehran, Baghdad, and Cairo really don’t need, it’s the loss of a safe, indoor means of relaxation. Fortunately, I suspect the muftis’ edict comes far too late. Muslims, at least those of the Middle East, have been practicing yoga widely since the mid 1990s, and in some countries the exercise is now as commonplace as it is in blue-state America.

In Iran, where cheerless clerics have inveighed against everything from poodles to the pants-tucked-into-boots look, yoga is popular enough to warrant its own magazines and the government has made no fuss . Across the country, including religious cities like Mashhad, there are thousands of yoga classes held each week, and there is a class for every yogi: for children, the elderly, the overweight, the spiritual. There are contemplative, patchouli-scented yoga centers, austere Iyengar centers for the very serious, and flow classes in gyms for women in chic yoga clothes who just want arm tone.

The Iranian love affair with yoga is a complex thing, born of many factors. There’s the general disenchantment with strict, orthodox Islam and the accompanying pull to alternative forms of spirituality. There are strictures that women face in exercising outside covered, and the appeal of gentle, indoor sport. Add to all that yoga’s global fashionableness and Iranians’ high rates of anxiety and depression, and you have the first genuinely yoga savvy middle-class in the entire Middle East.
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Is Music Therapy Halal or Haraam in Islam - By Dr Zakir Naik

The speech from Dr Zakir Naik about music halal or haram? To all readers please comment and forward to all Muslim brother for more informative feedback. Thank you

Jakim kesan kegiatan sebar ajaran Qadiani

Berita Harian Online
Jumaat 17 April 1998 20 Zulhijah 1418
Pembaziran Merugikan Anda
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Click this for English Version

Jakim kesan kegiatan sebar ajaran Qadiani
KOTA KINABALU, Khamis - Jabatan Kemajuan Islam (Jakim) Cawangan Sabah mengesan kegiatan penyebaran ajaran Qadiani yang dipercayai bergerak aktif semula di negeri ini, terutama di ibu negeri, Sandakan dan beberapa kawasan Pantai Timur Sabah.

Kejadian terbaru yang dikesan ialah ketika sambutan Aidiladha lalu, apabila sekumpulan pengikut ajaran sesat itu melakukan solat sunat Aidiladha beramai-ramai di sebuah kawasan yang dipercayai menjadi markas Qadiani di Tawau.

Selain di Kota Kinabalu dan pantai Timur negeri ini, pengikut ajaran itu juga dikesan sedang giat menyebarkan pengaruh di kawasan pedalaman dan beberapa kawasan tertentu di negeri ini termasuk di Kota Marudu dan Pitas.

Penolong Pengarah Jakim Sabah, Mohd Radzuan Abdullah, sehubungan itu menasihatkan orang ramai supaya berhati-hati mulai daripada sekarang sekiranya didatangi oleh individu atau sekumpulan orang yang berada dalam keadaan mencurigakan serta mengajar pelajaran agama yang mengelirukan.

Dalam masa sama, orang ramai diminta segera membuat laporan kepada Jakim atau Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sabah (JHEAINS) sekiranya mengesan kegiatan kumpulan itu di tempat mereka.

Difahamkan, markas ajaran Qadiani di ibu negeri dikesan terletak di Jalan Tuaran dan kedua-dua agensi agama itu sudah berjaya menggagalkan beberapa percubaan anggota kumpulan berkenaan mengadakan aktiviti di sekitar daerah ini.

Dianggarkan terdapat kira-kira 500 pengikut Qadiani yang aktif di seluruh negeri dengan majoritinya adalah rakyat tempatan.

"Kami sudah pun mengenal pasti pemimpin serta mereka yang mendalangi ajaran itu di negeri ini dan sekarang sedang mengatur strategi untuk menghalang kegiatan mereka.

"Jakim tidak akan bertolak-ansur dengan kegiatan kumpulan ajaran ini kerana ia membabitkan soal akidah umat Islam," katanya kepada Berita Harian di sini hari ini.

Majlis Fatwa Kebangsaan pada 1975 sudah mengisytiharkan ajaran Qadiani sebagai terkeluar daripada pegangan Islam.

Antara ciri utama ajaran itu ialah mengakui pengasasnya Mirza Ghulam Ahmad sebagai Imam Mahdi dan bertaraf Rasul, serta menyangkal Nabi Muhammad sebagai rasul terakhir.

Cabang kepada ajaran yang berasal dari India itu ialah fahaman Ahmadiah, dan kedua-dua ajaran itu mempunyai pandangan bertentangan dengan akidah Islam khususnya dalam perkara berkaitan wahyu, kenabian, kelahiran Nabi Isa dan jihad.

Jakim sebelum ini menyenaraikan Qadiani sebagai salah satu daripada 49 ajaran dan tarekat sesat yang mula bertapak di negara ini dalam tempoh antara 1970 sehingga 1980.

Radzuan berkata, pihaknya dan JHEAINS terpaksa mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap kegiatan kumpulan itu kerana mereka kini dikesan semakin berani menyebarkan pengaruh di kalangan umat Islam di negeri ini.

Sementara itu, beliau berkata, Jakim akan menganjurkan Kursus Pemulihan Akidah Fasa II kepada 60 bekas aktivis kumpulan Arqam pada 25 Mei ini.

Menurutnya, kursus sehari yang diadakan di ibu negeri itu meliputi pelbagai aktiviti termasuk ceramah, dialog dan tayangan video.

"Kerajaan sentiasa mengikuti perkembangan semua bekas pengikut Arqam di negeri ini bagi memastikan mereka tidak kembali kepada kumpulan asal dan kursus itu adalah sebahagian daripada usaha mengembalikan mereka ke pangkuan masyarakat,' katanya.

Dutch Firm Sees Potential In Malaysia As World's Halal Hub | Halal Journal

An established Dutch logistics company, which handles shipments of food products, feels that Malaysia has "great potential" to become the world's halal hub if Malaysian suppliers of halal food products did their homework well and build up an effective network abroad. VAT Logistics, which is based in the port city of Rotterdam and with branches in several countries, said it has been watching closely the progress made by Malaysia's processed food industry. "We have also participated twice in the International Halal Food Fair held in Kuala Lumpur and received business enquiries from halal food suppliers in Malaysia, Indonesia and elsewhere about cold storage facilities for halal food," said Ruud Vat, the company's owner, in an interview at the just-concluded five-day Transport Logistics 2007 Fair held in Munich. Vat, whose company is a customs broker with its own warehousing facilities, urged Malaysian exporters to tap the halal food markets of Europe which has a total Muslim population of about 30 million. "At present, halal food products are sold in small butcher's shops. However, we believe this is going to change once bigger and well-established players step in, a development which is expected to take place soon," he said. "We are, consequently, preparing ourselves for such a change and I believe Malaysia can emerge a key player with its experience in the supply of halal food products and its well-developed infrastructure for halal food production," said Vat, whose staff members regularly visit Asia, including Malaysia. With an eye on securing potential business from halal food suppliers in Malaysia and elsewhere, Vat said his company already has halal certification for one of its cold storage facilities. He said his company could handle food shipments from Malaysia, according to halal regulations. "We have so far been handling shipments of automotive parts from Malaysia, which are stored in our warehouses and subsequently distributed to France, Germany, the Netherlands and other parts of Europe," he added. Along with halal food products, Malaysia's strength also lies in the automotive parts sector

More>>Dutch Firm Sees Potential In Malaysia As World's Halal Hub | Halal Journal

SMIDEC Approved RM15.05 Mln To SMEs In Halal Business As Of March

JOHOR BAHARU, May 14 (Bernama) -- The Small and Medium Industries Development Corporation (SMIDEC) approved RM15.05 million as of March 31 this year for the development of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the halal industry.

Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said the funds, given through grants for the development and promotion of halal products, involved 253 applications.

Out of these, 165 were applications from Bumiputera entrepreneurs who received RM10.88 million.

"About 60 percent of the applications were for the promotion of halal products, 20 percent for the upgrading of premises in compliance with halal certification and another 20 percent for the development of halal products," Mukhriz said when launching a seminar here today for Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the halal industry.

Mukhriz said the government was very committed to developing the industry, adding that as of March 31, a total of 418 workers from the SME sector had gone through various trainings related to halal business. The programmes were carried out through the Development Skills Centre involving RM220,000 in expenditure.

He also urged Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the industry to be directly involved in the industry as the opportunities in the halal sector went beyond the domestic market.

The annual value of the global halal trade has amounted to RM7.4 trillion while the global Muslim population is 1.6 bilion, he said, adding that Bumiputera entrepreneurs should take up the challenge to develop the industry.

Mukhriz said that while his ministry had no fixed target for increasing the number of Bumiputera entrepreneurs in the halal industry, it should not be an excuse for them not to succeed in the industry.

"It is sad to see that the main producers of meat are countries like Brazil, US, Argentina and China, and indeed in South East Asia, Thailand has already built its name as a producer of halal food products," he said.

"In Malaysia, Bumiputera entrepreneurs are still lagging compared with the non-Bumiputeras...only 423 halal certification applications were received by the Halal Development Corporation (HDC) as of April 30 from a total applications of 1,686," he said.



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BERNAMA - SMIDEC Approved RM15.05 Mln To SMEs In Halal Business As Of March

ECER Enters UK Halal Market :: Bernama.com

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 (Bernama) -- Four halal product entrepreneurs from the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) have successfully penetrated the fast growing United Kingdom (UK) halal market.

The companies are Muslim Best Food Industries, GTHerb Industries, Maduria Industries and RMZ Marketing.

The companies are exploring the export of food and beverage products to the UK through the Malaysia Trading House, which is operating in London, the ECER secretariat said in a statement today.

The Malaysia Trading House, initiated by Konsortium Usahawan Makanan dan Industri Asas Tani Sdn Bhd (Komita), is a one-stop trading centre displaying an array of quality halal products from Malaysia.

"The UK halal market offers huge opportunities for Malaysian entrepreneurs, as more Muslim and non-Muslim consumers here, are buying halal products from supermarket chains and other outlets," said Komita's chairman, Sheikh Ahmad Dusuki Sheikh Mohamad.

In response to the increasing demand for halal products, Sheikh Ahmad said that Malaysia Trading House provides the platform for local halal entrepreneurs to enter and explore the UK and European market.

"Through this initiative, we aim to become a leading halal supermarket in London, as well as in Europe," he added.

Located in the historic Borough district in central London, the Malaysia Trading House is promoting products from 52 Malaysian companies, ranging from halal food and beauty products, to household and craft items.

The UK halal market is worth around 2.8 billion pounds (1.00 = RM5.39).


ECER Enters UK Halal Market :: Bernama.com

Malaysia looks to attract Middle Eastern tourists, 14th May 2009 // InterPark Magazine

Malaysia has a great deal to attract Middle East visitors, including a strong brand name, reasonable hotel rates and a plethora of things for families to see and do, according to one of the country's leading tourism officials.

Abdul Rahman Shaari, Tourism Malaysia regional director for Africa, West and South Asia, said Malaysia was well placed to attract tourists from the Middle East, with its positive image being boosted by the fact that it remains a progressive Muslim country where religious needs were respected.

"Halal food is easily available and the same goes for mosques and musolla. And we're sensitive to the need of having piped-water in the toilet, unlike in some other parts of the world," Shaari said.



Malaysia looks to attract Middle Eastern tourists, 14th May 2009 // InterPark Magazine