--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of…" description: "\"“Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot-weather yoga for the Bedouins. Arenas without sweat, heaven without strain,”\" — Yan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg" --- # Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I… ![“Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot-weather yoga for the Bedouins. Arenas without sweat, heaven without strain,” quote by Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg) > ““Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot-weather yoga for the Bedouins. Arenas without sweat, heaven without strain,”” [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator likens Islam to a gentle, effortless practice, contrasting it with strenuous rituals, suggesting a view of faith as accessible and soothing. **In simple terms:** Faith can be seen as easy and calming. Key Takeaway Recognize the simplicity in spiritual practice. Themes faith spirituality perception Mood thoughtful critical Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - personal reflection - interfaith dialogue - spiritual practice Key Concepts theology cultural critique Questions to Reflect On - Does simplifying faith risk misunderstanding? - How does cultural context shape religious perception? A Different Perspective This view may oversimplify complex religious experiences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Exercise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) [Exercise Thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise-thought-5213739/) [Fitness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fitness/) [Islam Easy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam-easy-5213738/) [Weather Yoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weather-yoga-5213740/) [Yoga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoga/) [Yoga Bedouins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yoga-bedouins-5213737/) ## Related quotes > [I give culture this meaning: exercise of thought, acquisition of general ideas, habit of connecting causes and effects ... I believe that it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antonio-gramsci/i-give-culture-this-meaning-exercise-of-thought-acquisition-of/) [Antonio Gramsci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antonio-gramsci/) > [I've never loved spending time on the machines at the gym. But I have discovered an exercise regimen I can dedicate myself to: yoga.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judy-reyes/i-ve-never-loved-spending-time-on-the-machines-at-the-gym-but-i-have/) [Judy Reyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judy-reyes/) > [“The physical vanity of the diet-and-exercise obsessive is recast as the pursuit of a kind of ritual purity, hedged about with taboos and guilt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-douthat/the-physical-vanity-of-the-diet-and-exercise-obsessive-is-recast-as/) [Ross Douthat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-douthat/) > [I try and work out as much as I can. When I'm working or travelling, it's tough, but when I'm at home, that time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malaika-arora-khan/i-try-and-work-out-as-much-as-i-can-when-i-m-working-or-travelling-it/) [Malaika Arora Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malaika-arora-khan/) > [Before, I would play a little hoops, a little tennis. Now it's more yoga, Pilates, stretching, some light weight work, push-ups, sit-ups, resistance things.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-roberts/before-i-would-play-a-little-hoops-a-little-tennis-now-it-s-more-yoga/) [Robin Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-roberts/) > [Be it gym or yoga, I love it all. I start my day with it and it has to be at least for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amyra-dastur/be-it-gym-or-yoga-i-love-it-all-i-start-my-day-with-it-and-it-has-to/) [Amyra Dastur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amyra-dastur/) > [I love pilates and yoga but don't do them regularly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hurley/i-love-pilates-and-yoga-but-don-t-do-them-regularly/) [Elizabeth Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hurley/) > [Pilates and yoga, we always do those together. But I think it's a little bit easier for me, at 5-7, to be more flexible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-ertz/pilates-and-yoga-we-always-do-those-together-but-i-think-it-s-a/) [Julie Ertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-ertz/) > [“Our body is a sacred temple A place to connect with people. As we aren't staying any younger We might as well keep it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-claudia-antunes/our-body-is-a-sacred-temple-a-place-to-connect-with-people-as-we-aren/) [Ana Claudia Antunes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-claudia-antunes/) > [My workout involves cardio, jogging, and yoga as well. I am a firm believer of yoga and meditation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hansika-motwani/my-workout-involves-cardio-jogging-and-yoga-as-well-i-am-a-firm/) [Hansika Motwani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hansika-motwani/) > [What I do is I'm trying to bridge the gap between yoga and fitness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-ingber/what-i-do-is-i-m-trying-to-bridge-the-gap-between-yoga-and-fitness/) [Mandy Ingber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-ingber/) > [I typically do yoga and I walk everywhere, and that's how I get my exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-doerksen/i-typically-do-yoga-and-i-walk-everywhere-and-that-s-how-i-get-my/) [Heather Doerksen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-doerksen/) > [I like to do varied exercises, even just going for a hike with my friends or taking my dog for a walk, then going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-maxwell/i-like-to-do-varied-exercises-even-just-going-for-a-hike-with-my/) [Stella Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-maxwell/) > [Most people think that aging is irreversible and we know that there are mechanisms even in the human machinery that allow for the reversal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/most-people-think-that-aging-is-irreversible-and-we-know-that-there/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I don't do yoga. I bite the hella outta my nails. I smoke, I eat all the wrong food, I don't exercise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-marie-presley/i-don-t-do-yoga-i-bite-the-hella-outta-my-nails-i-smoke-i-eat-all-the/) [Lisa Marie Presley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-marie-presley/) ## More by Yann Martel > [“It’s a big ocean crossed by busy ships. I went slowly, observing much.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/it-s-a-big-ocean-crossed-by-busy-ships-i-went-slowly-observing-much/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The word isn't just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding something, we bring something to it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-word-isn-t-just-the-way-it-is-it-is-how-we-understand-it-no-and/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Remember that your days on this earth are counted and you might as well make the best of those you have left.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/remember-that-your-days-on-this-earth-are-counted-and-you-might-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I must say a word about fear. It's is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-must-say-a-word-about-fear-it-s-is-life-s-only-true-opponent-only/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [I was not wounded in any part of my body, but I had never experienced such intense pain, such a ripping of the nerves,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-was-not-wounded-in-any-part-of-my-body-but-i-had-never-experienced/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [High calls low and low calls high. I tell you, if you were in such dire straits as I was, you too would elevate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/high-calls-low-and-low-calls-high-i-tell-you-if-you-were-in-such-dire/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Or rather, since Christians are so fond of capital letters, a Story.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/or-rather-since-christians-are-so-fond-of-capital-letters-a-story/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Progress is unstoppable. It is a drumbeat to which we must all march. Technology helps and good ideas spread - these are two laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/progress-is-unstoppable-it-is-a-drumbeat-to-which-we-must-all-march/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“There are always those who take it upon themselves to defend God, as if Ultimate Reality, as if the sustaining frame of existence were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/there-are-always-those-who-take-it-upon-themselves-to-defend-god-as/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“I never had problems with my fellow scientists. Scientists are a friendly, atheistic, hard-working, beer-drinking lot whose minds are preoccupied with sex, chess and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/i-never-had-problems-with-my-fellow-scientists-scientists-are-a/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“For evil in the open is but evil from within that has been let out. The main battlefield for good is not the open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/for-evil-in-the-open-is-but-evil-from-within-that-has-been-let-out/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Books are something social - a writer speaking to a reader - so I think making the reading of a book the center of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/books-are-something-social-a-writer-speaking-to-a-reader-so-i-think/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/nothing-beats-reason-for-keeping-tigers-away-but-be-excessively/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“Uvek ima onih koji uzmu za pravo da brane Boga, kao da je Poslednja stvarnost, kao da je temeljni ram postojanja nešto slabašno i…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/uvek-ima-onih-koji-uzmu-za-pravo-da-brane-boga-kao-da-je-poslednja/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) > [“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn't biological necessity- its envy. Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/the-reason-death-sticks-so-closely-to-life-isn-t-biological-necessity/) [Yann Martel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) [Explore all 570 Yann Martel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/) ## More Exercise quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [The United States cannot and should not discriminate on the basis of religion. The free exercise of religion is at the very heart of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-pence/the-united-states-cannot-and-should-not-discriminate-on-the-basis-of/) [Mike Pence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-pence/) > [I always wanted to make sure that within my unit that I was never the weak person. So I made sure that my physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-carmouche/i-always-wanted-to-make-sure-that-within-my-unit-that-i-was-never-the/) [Liz Carmouche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-carmouche/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Everyday happiness means getting up in the morning, and you can't wait to finish your breakfast. You can't wait to do your exercises. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-burns/everyday-happiness-means-getting-up-in-the-morning-and-you-can-t-wait/) [George Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-burns/) > [If your goal is to look different, you'll see results faster with strength training than with cardio alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-kaiser/if-your-goal-is-to-look-different-you-ll-see-results-faster-with/) [Anna Kaiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-kaiser/) > [The Only cure for nihilism is for liberal democratic societies - their electorates, their judiciary, and their political leadership- to insist that force is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ignatieff/the-only-cure-for-nihilism-is-for-liberal-democratic-societies-their/) [Michael Ignatieff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ignatieff/) > [Exercise teaches you the pleasure of discipline.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-fonda/exercise-teaches-you-the-pleasure-of-discipline/) [Jane Fonda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-fonda/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [One should try to locate power at the extreme of its exercise, where it is always less legal in character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-foucault/one-should-try-to-locate-power-at-the-extreme-of-its-exercise-where/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-foucault/) > [What do you think of our gym <3](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/what-do-you-think-of-our-gym-3/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is exactly in the repetition of the exercises that the education of the senses exists; not that the child shall know colors, forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/it-is-exactly-in-the-repetition-of-the-exercises-that-the-education/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [One things guys have to remember is consistency... You can't make up for three years of eating poorly in just one workout.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/apolo-ohno/one-things-guys-have-to-remember-is-consistency-you-can-t-make-up-for/) [Apolo Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/apolo-ohno/) > [For girls who want to get their waistline down a little bit and don't have any weights in the house, they can actually use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pepa/for-girls-who-want-to-get-their-waistline-down-a-little-bit-and-don-t/) [Pepa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pepa/) > [The human body has been designed to resist an infinite number of changes and attacks brought about by its environment. The secret of good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-johnson/the-human-body-has-been-designed-to-resist-an-infinite-number-of/) [Harry Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-johnson/) [Browse all 7,281 Exercise quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/exercise/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot-weather yoga for the Bedouins. Arenas without sweat, heaven without strain,”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Yann Martel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of-exercise-i-thought-hot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Exercise" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of-exercise-i-thought-hot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/05e/yann-martel-395_exercise_why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of_652278.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Why, Islam is nothing but an easy sort of exercise, I thought. Hot-weather yoga for the Bedouins. Arenas…” — Yann Martel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Yann Martel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yann-martel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Why, Islam is nothing but an...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of-exercise-i-thought-hot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yann-martel/why-islam-is-nothing-but-an-easy-sort-of-exercise-i-thought-hot/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```