How and why Reiki and Yoga goes against the fundamentals of Islamic Tawheed
by Mobeen Mujaddady
by Mobeen Mujaddady
Student of IOU under Dr. Bilal Philips.
Shirk can be broken down into three categories
Shirk can be broken down into three categories we can examine the system to identify how and why Reiki and Yoga goes against the fundamentals of Islamic tawheed.
Shirk in Ruboobeeyah: Maintaining the oneness of lordship.
Shirk in Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat: Maintaining the unity of Allah's Names and Attributes
Shirk in Al Ebaadah: Affirming Allah Alone in his right to be Worshipped.
Yoga: Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility that is achieved through the three paths of actions and knowledge and devotion.A system of exercises practiced as part of the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind)
Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग, IAST) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices Yoga–derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, to join, to unite, to attach. The English word yoke is cognate with the Sanskrit word yoga. We can think of yoga as the joining of the atma with the paramatma, the soul with God. There are numerous means of joining with God: through action, karma-yoga; through knowledge, jnana-yoga; through devotion, bhakti-yoga; through meditation, dhyana-yoga, etc. Yoga has many other meaning. For example, in astronomy and astrology it refers to a conjunction (union) of planets.
"Yoga has five principal meanings:
1) Yoga as a disciplined method for attaining a goal;
2) Yoga as techniques of controlling the body and the mind;
3) Yoga as a name of one of the schools or systems of philosophy (darśana);
4) Yoga in connection with other words, such as hatha-, mantra-, and laya-, referring to traditions specializing in particular techniques of yoga;
5) Yoga as the goal of yoga practice. For "yoga" as derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" with meanings of "to control", "to yoke, or "to unite"
In Hindu literature, the term "yoga" first occurs in the Katha Upanishad, where it refers to control of the senses and the cessation of mental activity leading to a supreme state.
The yoga exercises start with the first state which constitutes a bowing to the worshipped, i.e. the sun. These exercises must be accompanied by a number of words and phrases, which state clearly the worshipping of the sun and the orientation towards it. This is called (Mantra). It is said in a soft voice and regular tone and pitch. These expressions include the 12 names of the sun and here are some of the things they say:
Aum Mitraya Namah which means: I bow my head for you O! Friend of everyone.
Aum Ravaye Namah which means: I bow my head for you who is glorified by everybody.
Aum Suryaya Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Guider of everyone.
Aum Marichaye Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Forcer of the disease out.
Aum Savitre Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Giver of life.
Aum Bhaskaraya Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Source of light.
Aum Pushne Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Provider of Nutrition.
Some of them add other expressions like: Um Hram, Um Hraim, Um Hrum, …etc.
(Aum Hram Mitraya Namah.
Aum Hreem Ravaye Namah.
Aum Hroom Suryaya Namah
Aum Hraim Bhanave Namah.
Aum Hroum Khagaya Namah.
Aum Hrahaha Pushne Namah.
Aum Hram Hiranyagarbhaya Namah.
Aum Hreem Marichaye Namh.
Aum Hroom Adityaya Namah.
Aum Hraim Savitre Namah.
Aum Hroum Arkaya Namah.
Aum Hrahaha Bhaskaraya Namah.)
This means: O! God. So, yoga is not a kind of sport, it is rather an atheist form of worship that the Muslim should not indulge in under any circumstances. Prophet said: "Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan. That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, since it is forbidden to perform the prayer at sunset or sunrise to avoid imitating the disbelievers, then doing some other practices that disbelievers devote themselves to also fall in the same category
The goal of Yoga:
The goal of yoga may range from improving health to achieving MOKSHA. Within the monist school of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly sufferings and the cycle of birth and death Samsare at which point there is a realization of identity with Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things. For the bhakti school of Vaishnavism, Bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu
The purposes of Hindu Yoga aims at achieving mystical union with the ultimate reality namely Brahma ,where part of its practices involve breathing exercise. Even if the term nirvana is really the influence of Hindu’s wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence; the realization of identity between the Self in man, Atman; and the Divine, BRAHMAN: ‘Brahman is all, and Atman is Brahman), This truth can clearly be observed as when we study what is the ultimate goal of the asana yoga and the importance of its breathing practice Seeing yoga closely, it is beyond doubt that yoga is a yoke to unite individual soul with universal One. The very meaning of yoga is the Union of the Personal Spirit of God. The original meaning of yoga is ‘kok’ or tying. Yoga is a discipline for an individual unification with universal soul. Yoga contains certain religious rituals aiming at educating and disciplining the soul. Those who practice it claim that there is a spiritual contact between them and some hidden spirits in which they themselves believe.
Indeed Hinduism is a wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence) religion. This fact alone is sufficed to demonstrate that yoga is the teaching of Hinduism opposes Islam. Among the objective of the yoga philosophy is to achieve peace and health of mind and body. Bhagavad Gita is the one of Hinduism’s Holy book and the main source of the teaching of yoga.
The philosophy of Orthodox Hindu and Theravada Buddhism They have to practice yoga which include self exile in caves, forest and reject all kinds of worldly temptations. It is like vacuuming your mind of all kinds of desires. In their eyes the ideal person is yogi who use all kinds of strength to eliminate the differences between self and objects, indifference to all objects completely.
The most suggested meditation when you want to practice yoga is to concentrate on a dot of light. There are also other methods which are physical in nature such as to concentrate your eyes looking at your own nose, or on an idea of yours or the existence of your God. All the scattered ideas or intentions were neatly organized focuses to the very one. Indeed yoga claims the utmost happiness which are incomparable.
In fact, the true tranquility of the soul and its purity are attained by following the Sunnah and adhering to it as well as remembering Allaah in the way He mentioned in His Book and in the books of Sunnah.
Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {… Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.}[13:28]. Allaah knows best.
Yoga is a ‘kok’ or ‘joining’ to unite the individual soul with Universal soul. (Atman with Brahma). It is a unification of Individual Soul with God that makes it relevant. The ultimate goal in Christian teachings is to unite one’s soul with God after death. In Hinduism the unification of one’s soul might take place in life time. They call God Brahma: Atman unites with Brahma.
Indirectly and unconsciously, yoga exercise will lead Muslims to apostate and accept Hindu’s wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence) doctrine. Christianity can coexist with Hinduism as far as yoga practices are concern but not Islam.
Yoga falls into shirk it beliefs seek to unite the soul with God or as the yogis call it the supreme consciousness. This is shirk in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah lordship because it falls into the category of negation. A person might ask how they are negating the belief in God since they teach a belief in a god. It is not like Buddhism which in its teachings neglect to mention whether there is a god or outright denial. But yoga is just as guilty of shirk by negation. They believe that Allah can become part of the creation itself. When a person makes such a statement what this really means is that there is no God. For example if I am Allah or one with Allah then he is not superior to anything and therefore cannot be God. God be definition is the greatest and most superior to all things. This is part of Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah . A person must believe that Allah is superior otherwise how could the person believe in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah oneness of lordship? So yoga is an act of shirk in regards to Allah’s lordship by negation of Allah
This is shirk in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah lordship because it says that you can unite with God. You can become one with God. Therefore those who are advanced within that religion would be seen as equals to Allah or as they call it, the supreme consciousness
Yoga is also shirk of Tawheed al Asmaa was-Sifaat names and attributes of Allah. Yoga belief that a person can unify with the supreme consciousness or in other words unite with God is basically saying that a person can obtain the attributes of God. Therefore they are given the characteristics of the creator to themselves. It indicates that becoming one with the greater power which they call the supreme consciousness. This is attributing to a human being what only is for Allah. So for the Muslim to imitate the Hindu practice of yoga even though he does it for exercise it is an act of shirk Islam is unique from other religions in that it rejects all forms of shirk which lead to corruption.
In Arabic the term ibadah comes from the root word meaning slave. To imitate a people and trying to be like another people is like being a slave to your own desires
Surah 25:43 Have you (OMuhammed SAW) seen him who has taken as his illah (god) his own vain desire? Would you then be Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him?
In this Ayah it is said that some people take their desires as a god. To imitate a people would mean that you are following your desires and allowing them to rule your life. Your desires would then rule how you act and how you dress. Literally by imitation the person has become a slave to their desires and is considered to be worshipping their desires. Imitation is therefore an act of shirk in worship of Allah.
Reiki (霊気 or レイキ?, IPA: /ˈreɪkiː/4) is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui. After three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama, in Japan, Usui claimed to receive the ability of "healing without energy depletion" A portion of the practice, tenohira or palm healing, is used as a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).[3][4] Tenohira is a technique whereby practitioners believe they are moving "healing energy" (a form of ki) through the palms.
Derivation of Name
Japanese reiki 霊気 "mysterious atmosphere; spiritual power" is a loanword from Chinese lingqi 靈氣, which some Chinese-English dictionaries translate: "(of beautiful mountains) spiritual influence or atmosphere"; "① intelligence; power of understanding ② supernatural power or force in fairy tales; miraculous power or force";① spiritual influence (of mountains/etc.) ② ingeniousness; cleverness". This Japanese compound joins rei 霊 "ghost, spirit, soul; supernatural, miraculous, divine; ethereal body" and ki 気 "gas, air; breath; energy; force; atmosphere; mood; intention; emotion; attention", here meaning qi "spiritual energy; vital energy; life force; energy of life". Some reiki translation equivalents from Japanese-English dictionaries are: "feeling of mystery", "an atmosphere (feeling) of mystery", and "an ethereal atmosphere (that prevails in the sacred precincts of a shrine); (feel, sense) a spiritual (divine) presence.
" English reiki or Reiki transliterates a Japanese loanword. Reiki is syntactically used as a noun (referring to either "the putative energy" or "the therapeutic method based upon it"), a verb, or anadjective. Some Western authors loosely translate reiki as "universal life energy". This coinage partially mistranslates: ki means "life energy" — rei does not mean "universal".
Origan
Mikao Usui (臼井甕男) originated Reiki in 1922 after a twenty-one day retreat on Mount Kurama, involving meditation, fasting, and prayer. Usui said that by mystical revelation he had gained the knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune others to what is called Reiki
In April 1922, Usui moved to Tokyo and founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) Usui was an admirer of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, and, in the process of developing his Reiki system, summarised some of the emperor's works into a set of ethical principles, which later became known as the Reiki Principles.("GOKAI" in Japanese) Many Reiki teachers and practitioners aim to abide by these five principles, one translation of which is:
"The secret method of inviting good fortune.”
The marvelous medicine for all sickness
Just for today: Do not be angry do not worry be grateful work with integrity be kind to others.
Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho position [hands held palm-to-palm] and speak these words out loud in your heart.
For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho" — Mikao Usui, the founder.
Usui taught over 2000 students to use Reiki. Sixteen of his students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, equivalent to the Western third degree, or master level. Usui died in 1926.
The Reiki system does not attribute its healing power to God. A Muslim must believe that the healing comes from Allah alone. As prophet Ibrahim attributed the illness towords him and healing from Allah in the Ash- Shuara Verse80 (‘And when I am ill, it is He who cures me;) This is how we are supposed to think, Even if the whole of humanity were to gather to try and harm you, they would not be able to do it unless Allah had already destined for that thing to occur and vise versa. So if a Muslim believes that a healing is coming about by some mystical power then they have denied that the will of Allah is supreme.
If one believe that everything ultimately come from Allah and also belief in mystical super powers In assuming that this system has power over the creation it goes against Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah Allah’s lordship. What the person is doing is establishing a partner to Allah. Instead of asking Allah for help and healing the person has deviated and is using a system under which they feel they can heal the person with a mystical force. So this force has become a subtle form of idolatry. They have given Allah a partner. Even if they believe that this mystic force is lesser than Allah this is still shirk by association and is no different than many religions that have greater and lesser gods
If Allah is the lord over all things then we should turn to him for help. That doesn’t mean that we avoid medical treatment because as we know it is the Sunnah of the prophet to try to cure your sicknesses. It is fine to try and heal yourself and others using medications or methods by which is prescribed by Allah. But when it comes to use of spiritual or religion rituals then this is clear shirk
This also is shirk by negation because it does not indicate the existence of Allah. Therefore since it does not indicate that Allah exists subliminally they are suggesting that it is not important whether he exists or doesn’t exist. These are all philosophies which commit shirk by negation because they do not specify a belief in God. Therefore Reiki is shirk of Allah’s Lordship
Regarding shirk in worship of Allah, Reiki is a clear example of that
The prophet peace be upon him indicated in a hadith that the Christians and Jews had taken their leaders as gods and used to worship them because the leaders made halal things haram and haram things halal and the people had blindly followed their rulings. Since we know that magic is haram then anyone who follows a person who says that it is halal has committed shirk be worshipping that person.
Reiki is clearly a form of magic. Magic in Islam is forbidden and the punishments are strict for those who offend this commandment. Usui however has made these rituals of magic something that is halal. So if a Muslim is following these teachings then it is shirk. They have worshiped that person instead of Allah.
Surah 25:43Have you (OMuhammed SAW) seen him who has taken as his illah (god) his own vain desire? Would you then be Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him?
The majority of people practices Reiki do so out of intrigue and desire for it. This is their main motivating factor since there is no proof to support it. Of course it is natural to be curious of the unknown but those who practice Reiki have a love for it. This is clear shirk because they do not have love for Allah and have taken for a god something in this life that they love. As per Allah’s statement in the previous ayah quoted this is classified as shirk
Another proof that loving something more than Allah is shirk can be found in Allah’s statement
Surah 2:165 And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others beside Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (then anything else). If only those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is Severe in punishment.
If those who practice Reiki were to have some calamity strike them so that fear were to enter their heart they would probably not even think about their supposed healing powers to save them. They would automatically and naturally call out to Allah for help. They would reject their beliefs and embrace tawheed.
Surah 6:40 Say: ( O Muhammed SAW):”Tell me if Allah’s Torment come upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, would you then call upon any one other then Allah? (Reply) if you are truthful”
Reiki is appealing to another power other than Allah but when some horrible disaster comes they would only appeal to Allah. This is proof that they commit shirk in worship of Allah
Surah 22:71 Yet they worship, besides Allah, things for which no authority has been sent down to them, and of which they have (really) no knowledge: for those that do wrong there is no helper
In the previously quoted ayah Reiki is a perfect example of those who worship besides Allah. No authority has come down to them to heal in this manner and they have no knowledge regarding this matter. Since this is the case it is an innovation
(And Allah knows best)
Shirk can be broken down into three categories
Shirk can be broken down into three categories we can examine the system to identify how and why Reiki and Yoga goes against the fundamentals of Islamic tawheed.
Shirk in Ruboobeeyah: Maintaining the oneness of lordship.
Shirk in Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat: Maintaining the unity of Allah's Names and Attributes
Shirk in Al Ebaadah: Affirming Allah Alone in his right to be Worshipped.
Yoga: Hindu discipline aimed at training the consciousness for a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility that is achieved through the three paths of actions and knowledge and devotion.A system of exercises practiced as part of the Hindu discipline to promote control of the body and mind)
Yoga (Sanskrit, Pāli: योग, IAST) refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India. In Hinduism, it also refers to one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy, and to the goal toward which that school directs its practices Yoga–derived from the Sanskrit root yuj, to join, to unite, to attach. The English word yoke is cognate with the Sanskrit word yoga. We can think of yoga as the joining of the atma with the paramatma, the soul with God. There are numerous means of joining with God: through action, karma-yoga; through knowledge, jnana-yoga; through devotion, bhakti-yoga; through meditation, dhyana-yoga, etc. Yoga has many other meaning. For example, in astronomy and astrology it refers to a conjunction (union) of planets.
"Yoga has five principal meanings:
1) Yoga as a disciplined method for attaining a goal;
2) Yoga as techniques of controlling the body and the mind;
3) Yoga as a name of one of the schools or systems of philosophy (darśana);
4) Yoga in connection with other words, such as hatha-, mantra-, and laya-, referring to traditions specializing in particular techniques of yoga;
5) Yoga as the goal of yoga practice. For "yoga" as derived from the Sanskrit root "yuj" with meanings of "to control", "to yoke, or "to unite"
In Hindu literature, the term "yoga" first occurs in the Katha Upanishad, where it refers to control of the senses and the cessation of mental activity leading to a supreme state.
The yoga exercises start with the first state which constitutes a bowing to the worshipped, i.e. the sun. These exercises must be accompanied by a number of words and phrases, which state clearly the worshipping of the sun and the orientation towards it. This is called (Mantra). It is said in a soft voice and regular tone and pitch. These expressions include the 12 names of the sun and here are some of the things they say:
Aum Mitraya Namah which means: I bow my head for you O! Friend of everyone.
Aum Ravaye Namah which means: I bow my head for you who is glorified by everybody.
Aum Suryaya Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Guider of everyone.
Aum Marichaye Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Forcer of the disease out.
Aum Savitre Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Giver of life.
Aum Bhaskaraya Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Source of light.
Aum Pushne Namah meaning: I bow my head for you O! Provider of Nutrition.
Some of them add other expressions like: Um Hram, Um Hraim, Um Hrum, …etc.
(Aum Hram Mitraya Namah.
Aum Hreem Ravaye Namah.
Aum Hroom Suryaya Namah
Aum Hraim Bhanave Namah.
Aum Hroum Khagaya Namah.
Aum Hrahaha Pushne Namah.
Aum Hram Hiranyagarbhaya Namah.
Aum Hreem Marichaye Namh.
Aum Hroom Adityaya Namah.
Aum Hraim Savitre Namah.
Aum Hroum Arkaya Namah.
Aum Hrahaha Bhaskaraya Namah.)
This means: O! God. So, yoga is not a kind of sport, it is rather an atheist form of worship that the Muslim should not indulge in under any circumstances. Prophet said: "Pray the morning prayer and then abstain from prayer until sunrise and the sun has completely risen, for it rises between the horns of Satan. That is when the unbelievers prostrate to it." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
So, since it is forbidden to perform the prayer at sunset or sunrise to avoid imitating the disbelievers, then doing some other practices that disbelievers devote themselves to also fall in the same category
The goal of Yoga:
The goal of yoga may range from improving health to achieving MOKSHA. Within the monist school of Advaita Vedanta and Shaivism the goal of yoga takes the form of Moksha, which is liberation from all worldly sufferings and the cycle of birth and death Samsare at which point there is a realization of identity with Supreme Brahman. In the Mahabharata, the goal of yoga is variously described as entering the world of Brahma, as Brahman or as perceiving the Brahman or Atman that pervades all things. For the bhakti school of Vaishnavism, Bhakti or service to Svayam bhagavan itself may be the ultimate goal of the yoga process, where the goal is to enjoy an eternal relationship with Vishnu
The purposes of Hindu Yoga aims at achieving mystical union with the ultimate reality namely Brahma ,where part of its practices involve breathing exercise. Even if the term nirvana is really the influence of Hindu’s wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence; the realization of identity between the Self in man, Atman; and the Divine, BRAHMAN: ‘Brahman is all, and Atman is Brahman), This truth can clearly be observed as when we study what is the ultimate goal of the asana yoga and the importance of its breathing practice Seeing yoga closely, it is beyond doubt that yoga is a yoke to unite individual soul with universal One. The very meaning of yoga is the Union of the Personal Spirit of God. The original meaning of yoga is ‘kok’ or tying. Yoga is a discipline for an individual unification with universal soul. Yoga contains certain religious rituals aiming at educating and disciplining the soul. Those who practice it claim that there is a spiritual contact between them and some hidden spirits in which they themselves believe.
Indeed Hinduism is a wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence) religion. This fact alone is sufficed to demonstrate that yoga is the teaching of Hinduism opposes Islam. Among the objective of the yoga philosophy is to achieve peace and health of mind and body. Bhagavad Gita is the one of Hinduism’s Holy book and the main source of the teaching of yoga.
The philosophy of Orthodox Hindu and Theravada Buddhism They have to practice yoga which include self exile in caves, forest and reject all kinds of worldly temptations. It is like vacuuming your mind of all kinds of desires. In their eyes the ideal person is yogi who use all kinds of strength to eliminate the differences between self and objects, indifference to all objects completely.
The most suggested meditation when you want to practice yoga is to concentrate on a dot of light. There are also other methods which are physical in nature such as to concentrate your eyes looking at your own nose, or on an idea of yours or the existence of your God. All the scattered ideas or intentions were neatly organized focuses to the very one. Indeed yoga claims the utmost happiness which are incomparable.
In fact, the true tranquility of the soul and its purity are attained by following the Sunnah and adhering to it as well as remembering Allaah in the way He mentioned in His Book and in the books of Sunnah.
Allaah says (interpretation of meaning): {… Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.}[13:28]. Allaah knows best.
Yoga is a ‘kok’ or ‘joining’ to unite the individual soul with Universal soul. (Atman with Brahma). It is a unification of Individual Soul with God that makes it relevant. The ultimate goal in Christian teachings is to unite one’s soul with God after death. In Hinduism the unification of one’s soul might take place in life time. They call God Brahma: Atman unites with Brahma.
Indirectly and unconsciously, yoga exercise will lead Muslims to apostate and accept Hindu’s wahdat al-wujud (oneness of existence) doctrine. Christianity can coexist with Hinduism as far as yoga practices are concern but not Islam.
Yoga falls into shirk it beliefs seek to unite the soul with God or as the yogis call it the supreme consciousness. This is shirk in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah lordship because it falls into the category of negation. A person might ask how they are negating the belief in God since they teach a belief in a god. It is not like Buddhism which in its teachings neglect to mention whether there is a god or outright denial. But yoga is just as guilty of shirk by negation. They believe that Allah can become part of the creation itself. When a person makes such a statement what this really means is that there is no God. For example if I am Allah or one with Allah then he is not superior to anything and therefore cannot be God. God be definition is the greatest and most superior to all things. This is part of Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah . A person must believe that Allah is superior otherwise how could the person believe in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah oneness of lordship? So yoga is an act of shirk in regards to Allah’s lordship by negation of Allah
This is shirk in Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah lordship because it says that you can unite with God. You can become one with God. Therefore those who are advanced within that religion would be seen as equals to Allah or as they call it, the supreme consciousness
Yoga is also shirk of Tawheed al Asmaa was-Sifaat names and attributes of Allah. Yoga belief that a person can unify with the supreme consciousness or in other words unite with God is basically saying that a person can obtain the attributes of God. Therefore they are given the characteristics of the creator to themselves. It indicates that becoming one with the greater power which they call the supreme consciousness. This is attributing to a human being what only is for Allah. So for the Muslim to imitate the Hindu practice of yoga even though he does it for exercise it is an act of shirk Islam is unique from other religions in that it rejects all forms of shirk which lead to corruption.
In Arabic the term ibadah comes from the root word meaning slave. To imitate a people and trying to be like another people is like being a slave to your own desires
Surah 25:43 Have you (OMuhammed SAW) seen him who has taken as his illah (god) his own vain desire? Would you then be Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him?
In this Ayah it is said that some people take their desires as a god. To imitate a people would mean that you are following your desires and allowing them to rule your life. Your desires would then rule how you act and how you dress. Literally by imitation the person has become a slave to their desires and is considered to be worshipping their desires. Imitation is therefore an act of shirk in worship of Allah.
Reiki (霊気 or レイキ?, IPA: /ˈreɪkiː/4) is a spiritual practice developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui. After three weeks of fasting and meditating on Mount Kurama, in Japan, Usui claimed to receive the ability of "healing without energy depletion" A portion of the practice, tenohira or palm healing, is used as a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM).[3][4] Tenohira is a technique whereby practitioners believe they are moving "healing energy" (a form of ki) through the palms.
Derivation of Name
Japanese reiki 霊気 "mysterious atmosphere; spiritual power" is a loanword from Chinese lingqi 靈氣, which some Chinese-English dictionaries translate: "(of beautiful mountains) spiritual influence or atmosphere"; "① intelligence; power of understanding ② supernatural power or force in fairy tales; miraculous power or force";① spiritual influence (of mountains/etc.) ② ingeniousness; cleverness". This Japanese compound joins rei 霊 "ghost, spirit, soul; supernatural, miraculous, divine; ethereal body" and ki 気 "gas, air; breath; energy; force; atmosphere; mood; intention; emotion; attention", here meaning qi "spiritual energy; vital energy; life force; energy of life". Some reiki translation equivalents from Japanese-English dictionaries are: "feeling of mystery", "an atmosphere (feeling) of mystery", and "an ethereal atmosphere (that prevails in the sacred precincts of a shrine); (feel, sense) a spiritual (divine) presence.
" English reiki or Reiki transliterates a Japanese loanword. Reiki is syntactically used as a noun (referring to either "the putative energy" or "the therapeutic method based upon it"), a verb, or anadjective. Some Western authors loosely translate reiki as "universal life energy". This coinage partially mistranslates: ki means "life energy" — rei does not mean "universal".
Origan
Mikao Usui (臼井甕男) originated Reiki in 1922 after a twenty-one day retreat on Mount Kurama, involving meditation, fasting, and prayer. Usui said that by mystical revelation he had gained the knowledge and spiritual power to apply and attune others to what is called Reiki
In April 1922, Usui moved to Tokyo and founded the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) Usui was an admirer of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, and, in the process of developing his Reiki system, summarised some of the emperor's works into a set of ethical principles, which later became known as the Reiki Principles.("GOKAI" in Japanese) Many Reiki teachers and practitioners aim to abide by these five principles, one translation of which is:
"The secret method of inviting good fortune.”
The marvelous medicine for all sickness
Just for today: Do not be angry do not worry be grateful work with integrity be kind to others.
Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho position [hands held palm-to-palm] and speak these words out loud in your heart.
For the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho" — Mikao Usui, the founder.
Usui taught over 2000 students to use Reiki. Sixteen of his students continued their training to reach the Shinpiden level, equivalent to the Western third degree, or master level. Usui died in 1926.
The Reiki system does not attribute its healing power to God. A Muslim must believe that the healing comes from Allah alone. As prophet Ibrahim attributed the illness towords him and healing from Allah in the Ash- Shuara Verse80 (‘And when I am ill, it is He who cures me;) This is how we are supposed to think, Even if the whole of humanity were to gather to try and harm you, they would not be able to do it unless Allah had already destined for that thing to occur and vise versa. So if a Muslim believes that a healing is coming about by some mystical power then they have denied that the will of Allah is supreme.
If one believe that everything ultimately come from Allah and also belief in mystical super powers In assuming that this system has power over the creation it goes against Tawheed ar Ruboobeeyah Allah’s lordship. What the person is doing is establishing a partner to Allah. Instead of asking Allah for help and healing the person has deviated and is using a system under which they feel they can heal the person with a mystical force. So this force has become a subtle form of idolatry. They have given Allah a partner. Even if they believe that this mystic force is lesser than Allah this is still shirk by association and is no different than many religions that have greater and lesser gods
If Allah is the lord over all things then we should turn to him for help. That doesn’t mean that we avoid medical treatment because as we know it is the Sunnah of the prophet to try to cure your sicknesses. It is fine to try and heal yourself and others using medications or methods by which is prescribed by Allah. But when it comes to use of spiritual or religion rituals then this is clear shirk
This also is shirk by negation because it does not indicate the existence of Allah. Therefore since it does not indicate that Allah exists subliminally they are suggesting that it is not important whether he exists or doesn’t exist. These are all philosophies which commit shirk by negation because they do not specify a belief in God. Therefore Reiki is shirk of Allah’s Lordship
Regarding shirk in worship of Allah, Reiki is a clear example of that
The prophet peace be upon him indicated in a hadith that the Christians and Jews had taken their leaders as gods and used to worship them because the leaders made halal things haram and haram things halal and the people had blindly followed their rulings. Since we know that magic is haram then anyone who follows a person who says that it is halal has committed shirk be worshipping that person.
Reiki is clearly a form of magic. Magic in Islam is forbidden and the punishments are strict for those who offend this commandment. Usui however has made these rituals of magic something that is halal. So if a Muslim is following these teachings then it is shirk. They have worshiped that person instead of Allah.
Surah 25:43Have you (OMuhammed SAW) seen him who has taken as his illah (god) his own vain desire? Would you then be Wakil (a disposer of his affairs or a watcher) over him?
The majority of people practices Reiki do so out of intrigue and desire for it. This is their main motivating factor since there is no proof to support it. Of course it is natural to be curious of the unknown but those who practice Reiki have a love for it. This is clear shirk because they do not have love for Allah and have taken for a god something in this life that they love. As per Allah’s statement in the previous ayah quoted this is classified as shirk
Another proof that loving something more than Allah is shirk can be found in Allah’s statement
Surah 2:165 And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others beside Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those who believe, love Allah more (then anything else). If only those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is Severe in punishment.
If those who practice Reiki were to have some calamity strike them so that fear were to enter their heart they would probably not even think about their supposed healing powers to save them. They would automatically and naturally call out to Allah for help. They would reject their beliefs and embrace tawheed.
Surah 6:40 Say: ( O Muhammed SAW):”Tell me if Allah’s Torment come upon you, or the Hour comes upon you, would you then call upon any one other then Allah? (Reply) if you are truthful”
Reiki is appealing to another power other than Allah but when some horrible disaster comes they would only appeal to Allah. This is proof that they commit shirk in worship of Allah
Surah 22:71 Yet they worship, besides Allah, things for which no authority has been sent down to them, and of which they have (really) no knowledge: for those that do wrong there is no helper
In the previously quoted ayah Reiki is a perfect example of those who worship besides Allah. No authority has come down to them to heal in this manner and they have no knowledge regarding this matter. Since this is the case it is an innovation
(And Allah knows best)
