From FREE MALAYSIA TODAY, July 12 2010

By Ken Vin Lek and G Vinod, photo by Ted Adnan

KUALA LUMPUR: Astro had pulled the plug on an episode called Project Alpha which was to feature Yoga instructor Ninie Ahmad.

The episode, which was supposed to be aired on the HITZ.TV channel on July 4, was supposedly scrapped because of the Fatwa Council’s prohibition on Muslims practicing Yoga.

In her blog posting, Ninie said: “(On Sunday, July 4) I was informed that Astro will not air my episode of Project Alpha that is scheduled tonight because the Quality Control (QC) department said that under Fatwa law, they could not air a Malay person teaching yoga.”

This is not the first time that she has faced such problems with regards to Astro.

Back in June 2008, Ninie was invited to be a guest on the talk show called Ek Eleh hosted by comedian Afdlin Shauki, but Astro did not screen the recording.

“To my utmost surprise and biggest horror, they replaced my (almost 20 minutes of full-on) interview with ‘the best footage’ out of all 26 episodes…

“They could have had the courtesy to at least call and inform me in advance. I feel sorry for them for they feel the need to do this and for the Malaysian media which still feel reluctant to feature me and help promote yoga even though it’s not banned in Malaysia,” she said in a blog posting then.

Despite numerous attempts, FMT could not contact Astro’s officials for comments.

In November 2008, the Fatwa Council declared that Muslims are prohibited from practicing Yoga because of its Hindu roots.

The move drew flak from several quarters, including the royalty, with Negeri Sembilan’s Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Jaffar asking, “Where do we draw the line?”

“Islam is a progressive religion and the ulama (scholars) should be confident of the followers’ faith rather than micro-managing their way of life.

“If I go to a church or a Buddhist temple, is there any fear of me converting?” he said.

On Nov 26 that year, former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Muslims could continue practicing Yoga, minus the chanting of mantras.

Fatwas or religious edicts are not legally binding, but they are highly influential in Malaysia, where Malay-Muslims form just over half of the country’s 27 million people.

Photo by Anna-Rina

When I told people that I am taking a year of break from KL to see the world, many raised eyebrows and concerns. Among the reactions that I received were,

“Why? You have everything going for you here!”

“You must be one of the participants for The Amazing Race Asia 4!”

“Are you pregnant?”

.   .   .   .   .   .

You want the truth?

Photo by Joe Low

I am tired of KL.

Forget about the system that doesn’t work and the embarassing political nuisance – I am mostly sick of people’s ignorance.

I kept fighting for the yoga I believe in as I know that when MORE PEOPLE DO YOGA + PEOPLE DO MORE YOGA  – they will take care of their health & environment more & this country will be a better place for us all to live in.

And just so when I repetitively asked myself one last time “Am I making the right decision?” and “Am I ready?” – this morning I was informed that ASTRO will NOT air my episode of Project Alpha that is scheduled on HITZ.tv (Astro Ch 705) tonight because ‘QC dept said that under the Fatwa law, they couldn’t air a Malay person teaching Yoga’.

Of course this is not unfamiliar for me.

[ Read THIS ]

WHAT, I can’t play here?

.. I know I am making the right decision here.

.   .   .   .   .

God knows I have done almost everything I can to change what I thought could be changed.

God knows my faith is far from shaken or stirred.

God knows the more Yoga Sutra I read, the more translation of Holy Qur’an I get.

God knows how I feel closer to Him the closer I get to know every fibre in my being.

God knows that by every breath I inhale when I’m on my mat, the more I realize that it is MY responsibility to extend this life and this health I am given.

God knows that the more flexible I get & the longer I can stand on my two hands, the more patient & humbled I become.

God knows how yoga has changed me from a girl who had low self-esteem for always having been the shortest everything in her life – to a person that sees everything positive, that thinks impossible really IS nothing.

My impossible behind one of the world’s seven wonders

I have set my foot in Amsterdam, New York, Toronto for the past month and the further I go, all the more I know my calling is not here.

I have China, India and LA on my itinerary next and I don’t plan to come home anytime soon although a big part of my heart is here.

I’ll come back when you are ready for me.

But as for now, let me go..

I forgive those who just don’t understand whilst,

most girls’ wish list & dreams are to have a walk-in wardrobe, another LV Speedy 25 and to have 3 kids & still have the body & style of Victoria Beckham,

and some boys’ work like no tomorrow to own VW Scirocco in Shadow Blue and to be financially independant to not have to work for someone else anymore,

.. MY short-term plan is to go to India further studying Ashtanga, Vedanta & Ayurveda, leaving no debts and no one depending on me back at home – hopefully before I hit 30,

and dare I say, my lifelong dream is to know exactly when I will leave my body and breathe my last breath – with no painful illness, no gory injury, absolute no hatred and no desire to want or feel anything anymore. Hopefully in a knowing sleep after having finished another round of chanting Holy Al’ Quran.

That is why everyday I wake up, everything I put in my body, every drop of sweat, every word I say to anyone, every affirmation I pray here – is heading to the way and to the dreams I live my life to realise.

So if my last day in this lifetime is tomorrow, I know I have no regret for I would have returned this body He lent me and have served Him with full responsibility.

God willing.

For my birthday last year, I bought myself this book amongst many (every birthday I’d buy myself books significant to my age, so 27 books last year) and found it to have been very helpful with my poor Sanskrit pronounciation and comprehension.

‘COMPLETE A TO Y GUIDE’ – how can I not buy that?

Anyone who’s been practicing yoga long enough would agree that – it is crucial to properly pronounce Sanskrit as it is the language of yoga.

Understanding the meaning and purpose of each yoga asana (pose) helps preserve the terms related to the science of yoga – an understanding that is lost when these asanas are known only by their English names.

Knowing the postures names in Sanskrit allows teachers and students to unambiguously refer to a posture as the same posture may have several different English names (and refer to my title, having joined two different Yoga TTC in China humbled me – when yoga poses were being translated from Sanskrit to Mandarin, Cantonese, Shanghai-nese, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese and Tagalog.. Why don’t just translate them to English, you asked? – because most Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai don’t even understand basic English! Aren’t we 1Malaysia lucky?)

adidas Ra’Yoka TTC (Shanghai March ‘08)

God knows I struggle with my basic Sanskrit pronounciation and I’d be happy to be able to name all poses in Ashtanga Primary & Second Series and to be able to count them without second guessing myself.

As a Muslim yoga practitioner, I also find it helpful to understand basic Sanskrit as I can differentiate basic words / actions / verbs with Gods from deities / goddesses’ from Sages names so that I have an option to not say them out loud when I chant / meditate / perform kirtans.

I keep stressing (in my blog) that anything Sanskrit doesn’t necessarily mean Hindu and I personally believe that, The Highest Above understands all languages before we even say it. Hence I make it a point to READ the translation of Al’ Quran as often as I can instead of blatantly singing my prayers in Arabic that I don’t understand (sitting for Arabic For Communication PMR paper evidently doesn’t help).

Back to Sanskrit (before I go ahead, do you know that 80% of Malay words were Sanskrit-based? What do you think ‘guru‘, ‘agama‘, ‘raja‘, ‘sakti‘, ‘sama‘ all came from?) – most yoga teachers instruct asanas in Sanskrit as they were taught, trained and encouraged to do so but in our effort of preserving the art and language of yoga, most students get literally lost in translation as most of them just understand basic Tadasana, Chaturanga, Balasana and Shavasana (err, you don’t get them either?).

So when one of my students shared this over our teh-tarik-post-yoga-class last week, Azmi (Samdjaga) & I can’t stop laughing for minutes!

She said, “I don’t know what exactly the pose name is but it sounds like ‘Pandang Straight Tapi Tengok Sana‘ (from Malay translation, ‘Look Straight But Turn Ahead‘) to me..”

I’m quite sure she meant this pose,

PADANGUSTHASANA

And she wasn’t finished.

She added, “I have one more pose I don’t know how to pronounce. That ‘La Bodega Padan Muka‘ pose itu“.

Azmi & I still can’t decipher that one though.

Love and light.

Lokha Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu.

Would you believe me if I say that it equally means Gong Xi Fai Chai and Assalamualaikum?

For a country that owns an F1 team + circuit and marks the tallest twin towers in the world,

• its’ Muslims can’t proudly & publicly practice yoga, AND
• its’ non-Muslims can’t say and publish the word Allah

.. so God help me.

Photo by Cris Chen

Lokha samastha sukhino bhavanthu.

Earlier this June, I was invited to be a guest on Malaysia’s leading actor and comedian (I have to describe this since my website’ statistic shows that 30% of my readers are not from Malaysia) Afdlin Shauki’s new talk show called EK ELEH to be aired on Astro’s new channel called Astro Warna. Astro Warna is one of the channels introduced in Astro’s new package called Astro Mustika and to be able to view these channels, one has to pay an additional RM12.95 on top of the normal subscription fee.

When I got the call, I was thrilled and over-the-top excited knowing that other guests every week have included a string of most familiar faces on Malaysia entertainment industry to name a few – Siti Nurhaliza, Mawi, Estranged, Nabil, YASMIN AHMAD, Atilia, Mila paired with selected personalities from interesting fields. I was paired with one of Malaysia’s beloved film director, Aziz M. Osman (from XX-Ray, Puteri Impian, Idola and Seri Dewi Malam success) during that particular episode of Ek Eleh.

As usual, every Friday night exactly at 10pm, I will switch the Astro channel to CH132 only to see Afdlin NOT in the attire I remember him wearing during that shoot in June (mind you – I have been subscribing and paying additional RM12.95 on top of my RM165.++ Astro bill monthly for the past five months just for a glimpse of myself in this show) UNTIL TONIGHT.

I started calling my mom, my baby sister and texting my close friends to tune in as I will finally be on tonight. I wanted them to see that I pretzeled Afdlin himself to a Parivarta Anjali Mudra (Inverted Prayer Position) on national TV!

To my utmost surprise and biggest horror, they replaced my (almost 20-minutes of full-on) interview with ‘the best footage’ out of all 26 episodes as this would be their last episode ever.

I can’t say I am not furious because I am.

They (Ek Eleh production team? ASTRO? Afdlin himself?) could have had the courtesy to AT LEAST call and inform me in advance and saved me the RM12.95 X 5 (months to strictly watching Ek Eleh hoping it was my episode aired every week) I have been paying plus the embarrassing Friday nights I did not go out just to not miss my (only?) TV appearance.

And to do this on the very last time it is aired?

I feel sorry FOR THEM for they feel the need to do this.

I feel sorry for all Malay media that still feel reluctant to feature me and help promote BE Yoga as to they thought yoga is banned in Malaysia.

I feel sorry for all of you that still think yoga is banned in Malaysia.

SAYS WHO?

READ THIS

excerpt from The Star, 2 December 2008:

Sultan: Don’t harp on trivial issues

By WONG CHUN WAI

The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, known as a person who speaks his mind, gives his views on several current issues – from the changing political scenario after March 8 to the recent fatwa on yoga.

ON YOGA AND FATWAS

Could Tuanku comment on the controversy surrounding the fatwa prohibiting Muslims from practising yoga?

State religious matters come under the jurisdiction of the Rulers. It is a state matter. In states with no Sultans, it is the King who decides. It is not the prerogative of the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister, let’s be clear.

In the case of a fatwa, there are many steps to be taken before it can be gazetted. The state Fatwa Council, chaired by the Datuk Mufti, has to deliberate on such matters. Anyone can make proposals but finally, it is the Ruler who has the final say.

Islam is a beautiful religion. It is a practical religion. It must be known for its values and compassion. It is not about punishments or banning this or that. This has unfortunately happened. Islam is not about force. Substance is more important, let’s not forget.

I noticed that in the case of the yoga issue, some people seemed eager to jump the gun by making announcements to show their authority when they have none. The result is confusion. Muslims and non-Muslims are confused.

An indepth and thorough study by the state Fatwa Council must be conducted before any decision is sent to me for approval.

Our beloved Sultan of Selangor who is the Ruler of Islam in Selangor and all other Sultans & Kings in all states in Malaysia DID NOT EVEN APPROVE of this ‘Yoga Ban’ fatwa – so who are you to assume otherwise?

Wake up, Malaysia (and Malaysian media)!

I have had enough of:

SCENE A

CUSTOMER A: Can I just sign-up for Pilates classes at BE Yoga?

ME: May I know why?”

CUSTOMER A: My husband does not allow me to join yoga classes.

ME: Have you or your husband been to a yoga class personally?

CUSTOMER A: Errr, no.

SCENE B

CUSTOMER B: Do you offer other classes like Belly Dance or Aerobics class?

ME: No, we don’t. We are a yoga centre.

CUSTOMER B: Oh, that’s too bad. My church does not encourage yoga as a workout. They say it is an evil movement.

Please put a stop to embarrassing ourselves, other Malaysian Malays, other Malaysian Muslims after that headlines of ‘MALAYSIA BANS EXERCISE FOR MUSLIMS’ on CNN, BBC and the world already!

Yoga is NOT a religion and if you really did follow the final ruling last year, you would acknowledge that yoga is NOT banned after all.

Peace, light and plenty of common sense.

I might be the last person in the world to have only started reading Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling and much talked-about memoir Eat Pray Love last week (I got it for my birthday from the fabulous Joseph Teoh), but really – how did you guys manage to read it without wanting to pick up / start / do YOGA immediately as you flip the pages?

I laughed so hard at the ninth page as I read this,

I am alone, I am all alone, I am completely alone.

Grasping this reality, I let go of my bag, drop to my knees and press my forehead against the floor. There, I offer up to the universe a fervent prayer of  thanks.

First in English.

Then in Italian.

And then – just to get the point across – in Sanskrit.

..until I teared up and had to stop reading for a good couple of minutes for my stomach hurts from laughing so hard.

For a yoga teacher who has been trying to grasp as much Sanskrit (albeit, mostly of yoga poses) as I can, how can anything else be funnier than that?

And this book got me, when I got to page 27 (can you imagine my excitement, PAGE 27 on the book I got and read on MY 27th BIRTHDAY?) and I don’t think I breathed blinked at all as I read this,

..the old man asked me in person what I really wanted, I found other, truer words.

“I want to have a lasting experience of God,” I told him. “Sometimes I feel like I understand the divinity of this world, but then I lose it because I get distracted by my petty desires and fears. I want to be with God all the time. But I don’t want to be a monk or totally give up worldly pleasures. I guess what I want to learn is how to live in this world and enjoy its delights but also devote myself to God.“

Ketut said he could answer my question with a picture. He showed me a sketch he’d drawn once during meditation. It was an androgynous human figure, standing up, hands clasped in prayer. But this figure had four legs, and no head. Where the head should have been, there was only a wild foliage of ferns and flowers. There was a small, smiling face drawn over the heart.

“To find the balance you want,” Ketut spoke through his translator, “this is what you must become. You must keep your feet grounded so firmly on the earth that it’s like you have four legs, instead of two. That way, you can stay in the world. But you must stop looking at the world through your head. You must look through your heart instead. That way, you will know God.”

Within those lines in this Book, what I have been feeling all my life – is worded almost perfectly.

With this gift of Yoga, what I have been wanting in my life – is achieved closer everyday.

I eat generously, I pray wholeheartedly, I love honestly, I yoga purely to prolong my life and extend the happiness I get to experience and give others – for as long as I live.

Love and prayers.

Eversince I started this website last month, I have been more than comfortable expanding my little yoga experience and knowledge in my own words, here.

I will also share some yoga (beside other relevant) questions that some readers have emailed to me starting with this shortened (not revised) e-mail from Liyana.

Question:

Dear Ninie Ahmad,

I just moved to the US a few weeks ago, and I just had my first yoga class at my university this morning. I missed the first class held for the semester, so this morning I just followed whatever the instructor asked us to do. I am quite familiar with the poses as I have tried yoga previously, but only through a friend. Ok anyways, at the end of the yoga class, the instructor asked us to chant a mantra mentally when we’re sitting. The thing is I have no idea what the mantra was as it was taught at the first lesson, which I missed.

But whatever the mantra is, I feel quite uncomfortable of the fact that mantra is involved, being a Muslim. So my question is, are the mantras in yoga connected to any teachings of any religion? Do you yourself practice saying/concentrating any mantras when doing yoga?

Wait, one more thing is that whether mantras in yoga are related to any religion, or are solely for discipline /concentration, I think that personally I would not be comfortable practicing the mantras. So what do you suggest I do when the other students are concentrating on the mantras? Are there any other substitute for mantra?

I hope you can help me with this. And get well soon, I hope for your recovery from the shoulder/tricep injury. Thanks!

Yours truly,
Liyana

Suggestion:

Dear Liyana and everyone reading,

Thank you for writing / reading  and congratulations on accepting the gift of yoga.

According to Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (written 2000 years ago in Sanskrit but available in many translations including English and Arabic), there are eight limbs to the tree of yoga – with each limb being a phase / stage to self-realization. In tradition stemming from this ancient text, each limb of yoga is  given in a precise order through which (aspiring) yoga practitioners must progress starting from the very bottom yet the most important.

(Note: Words in italic are Sanskrit, the oldest language ever documented in the world)

1. Yama (Moral codes towards others)

• Yama indicates how individuals should respond and relate to other people, all living beings and to the environment – in order to achieve a peaceful and harmonious world.

2. Niyama (Self-purification and study)

• Niyama deals with contentment and physical cleansing / purifying of the body – both internally and externally to find some clarity of thoughts before the next stage of yoga – Asana.

Note: Most yoga practitioners and I practice Yama and Niyama to the literal translation to why we chose not to kill others living beings (Vegetarianism) as our source of food to survive as our contribution to world peace and preserving green environment (Yama) and generally cleansing ourselves with bath or shower and accepting our current state of body especially our injury and lack of-s (Niyama) before our Asana practice.

3. Asana (Poses / Postures)

• Asanas in yoga (depending what branch of yoga we each can relate to / practice the most) are scientific sequences that access every muscle in the body, stretching and toning them as well as nerves, organs, glands and energy channels.
• Asanas are not merely exercises, they are postures and transitions synchronized with Pranayama (breath) that regular and systematic Asana practice with help of tristana (union of Vinyasa), bandha (locks that protect the body) and drishti (looking point) – help open and clear the nadis (energy channels of subtle body) allowing access and harness to internal lifeforce (energy) known as Prana.

4. Pranayama (Breathing)

• For most of us, breathing is an involuntary reflex action. Yogis, however, appreciate the role breath has in focusing the mind and Pranayama is a method of using the power of breathing to control the mind. Most yoga Asanas require specific dynamics of breathing (inhale to creating space and to lengthen, exhale to twist and to be stronger) to achieve the pose easier / safer and to ensure benefits instead of injury.

Notes: The first four limbs are external disciplines that, when practiced regularly create the necessary physical and mental state from which the remaining four internal limbs can continuously sprout and unfold.

Founder of Ashtanga Yoga, the late Shri K Pattabhi Jois was often heard saying, “Practice the first four limbs of yoga FIRST, and the rest four will come without trying.” With that inspiration, I always say, “Forget the Headstands and Scorpions, simply respect others by not making noise in class and honour your body by not doing poses that you are not ready for FIRST and you would already be doing yoga” before I start my classes.

In my humble observation, the system and order work almost like (but NOT equivalent to) how puasa (fasting) works in Islam. If we understand where the Rukun (Pillar) lies in Islam, puasa falls in the third rank within Pillars of Islam hence it is almost impossible to attain blessed Puasa if we don’t perform our Solat (Prayers) while fasting and if we don’t refrain ourselves from pleasures the material world has to offer.

5. Pratyahara (Sense Control)

• Pratyahara in easiest translation is the full awareness. Our mind easily strays especially if we can’t let go of imminent social engagements or daily errands need to be done when practicing Asana that is why – rather than closing thoughts out, we learn NOT to become attached to them as they move through our mind.

6. Dhanara (Concentration)

• When practitioners achieve a high level of Pratyahara, the mind is undisturbed by stray thoughts, sounds and sensation (such as pain). In this state, it is possible to achieve a deep level of concentration and that is Dhanara (or Khusyu’ in Arabic). Within practice of Asana, Dhanara is achieved when the mind reaches a single focus by concentrating purely on inhalation, exhalation and the looking point (drishti).

7. Dhyana (Meditation)

• The combination of limbs five and six (Prathayara and Dharana) brings about a state of deep meditation where if achieved in Asanas, each posture is gracefully strung on a garland of asanas, becoming, in effect – a moving meditation.

8. Samadhi (Contemplation)

• To reach Samadhi is the culmination of all the eight limbs of yoga. It is the goal, the fruit of the yoga tree that creates the edible and ingestibly sweet tasting part of the tree for us to consume, and for us to be consumed from – within.

[ Reference from Ashtanga Yoga by John Scott ]

It is very important for me to have explained and listed in detail (but not complete) description of what makes a yoga practice fruitful – before I can answer what does Mantra (Chanting) have to do with yoga and is it at all, necessary.

Mantra is an opening or closing sequence for an Asana practice to set an affirmation our practice and to offer a dedication of our time spent on Self-Realization to any good cause (world peace, be a better person, lessen trouble and pain of others, et cetera).

My point is, unless we practice Asana regularly and attain all eight limbs of yoga (which is almost impossible for us in this selfish day and age and material world, really!), lupakan saja!

Most of the Mantras are in Sanskrit just because most of them sound more beautiful in its’ origin language (Sanskrit NOT Hindu). Just because we do not understand them, it does not mean that once delivered – we will be out of our body (or be able to levitate for that matter, ha haa!).

Just like (again, but NOT equivalent) to Al-Fatihah (the mother of all verses) in Qur’an, sad to say many non-Arab speaking Muslims in the world take the power of Al-Fatihah for granted because they do not make effort in comprehending and BELIEVING in the verse because they simply do not understand a language so foreign.

Hence for some Mantras matter, it is suffice to say, unless you know what they mean, you do not have to follow (chanting) them out loud as it serves almost no purpose almost like saying an affirmation that we do not mean.

Below is the closing mantra for Ashtanga Yoga (my choice of personal Asana practice) and its beautiful translation.

Om
Swasthi-praja bhyah pari pala yantam
Nya-yena margena mahi-mahishaha
Go-bramanebhyaha-shubamastu-nityam
Lokaa-samastha sukhino-bhavantu
Om
Om shanti, shanti, shantihi

Translation:
Om
May prosperity be glorified
May administrators rule the world with law and justice
May all things that are sacred be protected
And may people of the world be happy and prosperous
Om
Om peace, peace, peace

‘MAY PEOPLE OF THE WORLD BE HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS.’

Subhanallah. Can any other offering be more selfless, honest and beautiful than this? I initially planned to post this entry on 9/11 notwithstanding, I chanted this as my offering to world peace this throughout the whole of last Friday.

As an alternative to Sanskrit mantra (if we are not familiar with Sanskrit at all), we can always say anything kind and affirmative in English, or in Malay for that matter (useful fact: 80% of Bahasa Malaysia derived / originated from Sanskrit). For my beginner to intermediate classes, I often chant this to my class, “If it is not now, then when. If it is not us, then who. We are the ones we have been waiting for” and I give an alternative of saying a loud, “NOW” to those who do not comfortable in pronouncing, “OM”.

While we are at it, ‘OM’ (pronounced A-U-M) is the most universal and powerful sound we can say in one breath. It means all, omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. OM has been described as the primordial sound, represented in all living matter. It is NOT a word – it is a sound. It is so powerful that when uttered in one breath and repeated many times, it opens and aligns all our chakras and the millions channels of nadis (energy channels) in our body.

Being a Muslim yoga practitioner and a perpetually curious learner (refusing to learn [new languages, new things about our body and others' cultures] is a direct act of being ignorant. We are not the only ones in the world), I came to realize that Al-Fatihah is so powerful an AFFIRMATION and prayer that – very similar if not more meaningful that the word ‘OM’, it is also the only verse in Qur’an and finishes with an ‘eem’ and ‘een’ throughout its’ whole seven lines. I also recall my first Qur’an teacher said, “Al-Fatihah is mostly more beneficial and blessed when recited in one breath.”

Below is the general translation of Al-Fatihah. Wallahualam.

Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Al hamdu lillaahi rabbil ‘alameen
Ar-Rahman ar-Raheem Maaliki yaumid Deen
Iyyaaka na’abudu wa iyyaaka nasta’een
Ihdinas siraatal mustaqeem
Siraatal ladheena an ‘amta’ alaihim
Ghairil maghduubi’ alaihim waladaaleen
Aameen

Translation:
In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful.
Praise be to God, Lord of all the worlds.
The Compassionate, the Merciful, Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.
You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help.
Guide us on the straight path,
the path of those who have received your grace;
not the path of those who have brought down wrath, nor of those who wander astray.
Amen.

I hope I have justified your question and given you comfortable alternative for Sanskrit mantra.

Let’s all begin this new week understanding, believing and living this saying (and my personal favourite mantra):

Watch our thoughts, for they become words.
Watch our words, for they become actions.
Watch our actions, for they become habits.
Watch our habits, for they become character.
Watch our character, for it becomes our destiny.

I personally will dedicate my yoga practice and teaching this new week to restoring a happy relationship with our neighbour country so we all have a chance of enjoying a blessed last week of Ramadhan ahead, with lessened hatred that does not make us blood brothers and sister any happier nor better in any way.

Namaste.
The light in me bows to the light in you.
Selamat sejahtera.
Peace be upon you.
Assalamualaikum.

(They all mean THE SAME although they sound very different, amazing isn’t it?)