The National Fatwa Council has postponed making a ruling relating to ancient practise of yoga, which some argued that the popular exercise contains Hindu 'religious elements'.

The council was to have made a decision today but the matter was postponed to a date to be fixed.

Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz said this was because the National Fatwa Council chairperson Abdul Shukor Husin was overseas on official business.

"A news conference will be held to make the announcement and the date will announced later," he told Bernama today.

yoga A lecturer of University Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Faculty of Islamic Studies, Prof Zakaria Stapa, said recently that yoga, which is based on Hindu elements, could affect the faith of Muslims practising it.

Zakaria advised Muslims who have taken up yoga - a widely popular exercise which has its roots to India and Hinduism - to stop practising it for fear that it could deviate them from their belief.

"Yoga originated from the Hindu community and it combines spiritual as well as their religious aspects. They believe it brings them closer to their god," he was reported as saying.

Zakaria was reported to have said that more Muslims were resorting to yoga exercise to find a balance in their hectic lifestyle.