is tai chi permissible?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

We have learned that Tai chi is a martial art that is practiced for self-defense. If it is used for this purpose, then there is no harm in practicing it whenever the need arises; however, practicing it for the purpose of harming someone else, as is the case in boxing, is impermissible.

Al-Fiqh Al-Islami wa Adillatuhu (by Prof Dr Wahbah Az-Zuhayli) reads, “Freestyle wrestling, boxing, and similar combat sports are impermissible because of the physical harm they cause to human or animal life. Islam forbids such perverted sports because they involve plain violation of the Prophet’s directive: “When any of you fights, he must avoid (striking) the face.” [Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Hurayrah] If there is no harm incurred to either side in boxing or wrestling, then they are permissible. Similarly, they are permissible as a means of training in strength, combat, and self-defense. It has been reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wrestled with Rukaanah and defeated him.”

We have also learned that Tai chi is practiced for the purpose of relaxation and increasing one's internal energy. Such purposes are permissible and there is no harm in practicing that sport for these purposes on condition that it is not accompanied by corrupt beliefs.

Allaah Knows best.