Yoga and Islam: Unveiling A Common Ground

Yoga is believed to be associated with Islam, in fact the two complement each other. Islam and yoga together may make a mutually beneficial synergy. Both agree that the body is considered as a means to realize the sense of spirituality and salvation, the primary identity of the human being is not with the body only but with the eternal soul. This is true in case of any religion, be it Hindu, be it Islam, or be it Christian. Yoga is not a religion. Rather it is a philosophy of life which is a set of techniques and skills that can be adopted by any religion with a view to enhance their acceptability and utility. No doubt, yoga arose from the Hindu origin and can be traced back to pre- Vedic age, it has a universal applicability. It helps one to follow one’s own religion better whatever that may be. It consists of certain interesting concepts which can be considered common between the two which needs to be unveiled. There is a compatibility between Islam and yoga on the highest level. When a yoga aspirant is established in truth, whatever he says or does bears fruits. Thus, it can be ascertained that there is a ground in which both yoga and Islamic thoughts can be brought together. Yoga always emphasizes on discipline and self- control through the practice of aṣṭānga- yoga, likewise, Islam places great importance on self-control and discipline.