Is It Permissible to Write Chinese or Japanese Characters Resembling Living Beings?

Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Weltch

Question

Is it permissible to learn and write Chinese or Japanese characters resembling living beings, such as 鸟/鳥 (bird), or characters with origins in ancient beliefs, for language and cultural understanding?

Does the ruling depend on intent or the level of detail in the drawing?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

It is permissible to learn and write Japanese or any of the Chinese languages, even if the characters therein are that of animate objects. This is due to multiple considerations:

1. The characters are so small that they would not meet the criteria of prohibition according to those who consider 2-dimensional drawing impermissible.
2. The learning of a language, especially for cultural understanding, is a recognized religious and worldly benefit. Allah Most High calls languages a sign of His greatness.

Allah (Most High) says,

“And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and colours. Surely in this are signs for those of (sound) knowledge.” [Quran; 30:22]

Hope this helps
Allah knows best
[Shaykh] Yusuf Weltch
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Yusuf Weltch is a teacher of Arabic, Islamic law, and spirituality. After accepting Islam in 2008, he went on to study at Darul Uloom Seminary in New York and completed his studies at Darul Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen.

There, he completed the memorization of the Quran and his study of Islamic Sciences. Throughout his years of study, he was blessed to learn from many great scholars: Habib Umar bin Hafiz, Habib Kazhim al-Saqqaf, Shaykh ‘Umar bin Husayn al-Khatib, and others.

Upon returning, he joined the SeekersGuidance faculty in the summer of 2019.