Shashankasana has nothing to do with Namaz, yet caught teachers keep giving the same excuse: Know the vast difference between ‘Sajda’ and Yogic postures
Cases like these often come to light where Muslim teachers in schools are accused of teaching Hindu students prayer-like postures under the guise of yoga classes. After parents raise complaints, such teachers are caught, yet the same defense is always offered: that the posture being taught was merely a yoga pose.
A similar case has recently emerged from Deohari village in Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district. A government school teacher named Jabur Ahmad has been accused of teaching Hindu students Islamic prayer postures during yoga and Surya Namaskar sessions. As the controversy escalated, the Muslim teacher was immediately suspended, and an inquiry was initiated.
In his defense, Jabur Ahmad claimed he was only teaching students the “Shashankasana” (Rabbit Pose). He argued that while this pose might resemble an Islamic prayer posture, it is purely a yogic asana. So what is the actual difference between a yoga posture and a namaz (Islamic prayer) position, and why do some individuals deliberately exploit this confusion?
The difference between Shashankasana and Namaz posture
Examining the frequently cited “Shashankasana” argument shows clear distinctions between the posture used in namaz and the yogic pose. Their physical configuration and procedural sequence are fundamentally different.
Namaz’s “Sajda” posture
The most controversial part of the namaz is the “sajda,” in which the worshipper places their forehead on the ground. In this position, the body’s balance rests on five main points: the toes, knees, palms, and forehead.
In sajda, the elbows are kept above the ground and away from the body, ensuring that the forearms do not touch the floor. The toes are curled inward and touch the ground, while the ankles remain bent, and the heels are raised.
Shashankasana (Rabbit Pose)
Shashankasana is a beneficial yogic posture derived from the Sanskrit word Shashanka, meaning “rabbit,” as the body assumes a rabbit-like shape. It is known to improve digestion, relieve constipation, and help with asthma, diabetes, and heart ailments by calming the nervous system.
To perform Shashankasana, one sits in Padmasana or Vajrasana with the spine erect. The knees are spread apart, and the arms are extended above the head. Exhaling, one bends forward from the waist, keeping the arms straight until the forehead, arms, and chin touch the floor. After holding the pose briefly, one slowly returns to the starting position while inhaling. This process can be repeated three to five times. The position of the arms and elbows here differs completely from the namaz posture, where the elbows must remain lifted.
Similar past incidents
This is not the first time that Muslim teachers or event organizers have been accused of teaching namaz postures to Hindu students under the guise of yoga or Surya Namaskar. Such incidents reveal a recurring pattern that can hardly be dismissed as coincidence.
One of the major incidents took place in April 2025 at Guru Ghasidas Central University (GGU) in Chhattisgarh. There, 155 Hindu students accused seven teachers and one student leader of forcing them to perform Islamic prayer postures during a morning “yoga class” at an NSS camp. Students alleged that they were threatened with disciplinary action if they refused. Police later registered a case against the eight accused individuals.
Forcing Hindu students to perform namaz without even the yoga pretext
In several other instances, Muslim teachers have allegedly compelled Hindu students to perform namaz without disguising it as yoga. One such case was reported from Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, where Hindu students were allegedly made to perform namaz in 40°C heat and recite Fatiha (an Islamic prayer). Hindu girls were reportedly made to wear burqas, and students were coerced into chanting “Allahu Akbar.” The incident triggered massive protests in the area.
In another case, parents in Gujarat’s Karnavati accused Kelorex Future School of making Hindu students perform namaz. The revelation caused a major uproar, prompting the Gujarat government to order an immediate inquiry and direct schools to ensure that no religious practice is imposed on students.
Though these cases differ from the Burhanpur “Shashankasana” controversy, together they highlight an alarming pattern of complaints that Hindu students are being exposed to Islamic rituals in schools, a trend that warrants strict action.
Misunderstanding or a convenient excuse?
A comparison between the Shashankasana and namaz postures reveals unmistakable physical and procedural differences, particularly in weight distribution, arm positioning, and point of contact with the ground. In Shashankasana, the body’s weight is concentrated on the hips, while in namaz it is distributed across multiple points (palms, knees, toes, and forehead).
Given these differences, the repeated claim by accused teachers that the posture was simply “Shashankasana” and that the issue arose from a “misunderstanding” appears highly dubious. The fact that the same excuse is used every time points toward a deliberate attempt to deflect blame and conceal religious activity under a secular cover like yoga.
This repeated pattern strongly suggests that the “Shashankasana defense” is less a misunderstanding and more a calculated strategy to normalize and disguise Islamic practices within educational spaces.
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