Utilizing Skins of Animal Carcasses According to Islam

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Dear readers, in this article, we will explore how to utilize the skins of animal carcasses according to Islamic teachings. Animal skins are widely known to be used for making jackets, shoes, home decorations, and more. However, in Islam, the skin of a carcass cannot be directly processed as it is considered unclean. There is a specific process required to purify it.

Before diving deeper into how to utilize animal carcass skins according to Islam, let us first examine some relevant hadiths on this topic.

Hadith About Utilizing Skins of Animal Carcasses

The hadiths related to utilizing animal carcass skins are as follows:

عَنْ اِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا دُبِغَ الْإِهَابُ فَقَطْ طَهُرَ . أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ

From Ibn Abbas (radliyallahu anhu), he said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "If the skin has been tanned, then it becomes pure." (Narrated by Muslim)

عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْمُحَبِّقِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : دِبَاغُ جُلُوْدِ الْمَيْتَةِ طُهُوْرُهَا

From Salamah bin al-Muhabbiq (radliyallahu anhu), he said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, "Tanning is the way to purify it."

عَنْ مَيْمُوْنَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ : مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِشَاةٍ يَجُرُّوْنَهَا فَقَالَ : لَوْ أَخَذْتُمْ إِهَابَهَا . فَقَالُوْا : إِنَّهَا مَيْتَةٌ . فَقَالَ : يُطَهِّرُهَا الْقَرَظُ . أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُوْ دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ

From Maimunah (radliyallahu anha), she said: The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) passed by a dead sheep and said, "If only you had taken its skin." They replied, "It is a carcass." He said, "The acacia tree (al-Qaradh) can purify it." (Narrated by Abu Dawood and an-Nasa'i)

Key Points About Utilizing Animal Carcass Skins

From the above hadiths, several important points can be summarized:

1. The skin of an animal carcass is unclean, but it can be purified through tanning.
2. Tanning removes moisture from the skin, which is the process that makes it pure.
3. According to the Shafi'i school of thought, tanning can purify both the outer and inner layers of the skin, except for the skins of dogs, pigs, or animals born from their crossbreeds. These animals are considered highly impure (mughalladhah).
4. The Hanafi school states that tanning purifies all animal skins except for pig skins. The Maliki school holds that tanning purifies only the outer surface of the skin, not the inner layers. Meanwhile, the Hanbali school believes that tanning does not purify any animal skin.
5. Tanning can be performed using natural substances such as acacia tree leaves (as mentioned in the hadith).
6. Avoid wasting resources. If something, such as animal skin, can still be used, Islam encourages utilizing it rather than discarding it.

Who Narrated These Hadiths?

1. The first hadith was narrated by Ibn Abbas (radliyallahu anhu).
2. The second hadith was narrated by Salamah bin al-Muhabbiq, also known as Rabi'ah bin Shakh al-Hudzaliy, the father of Sanan al-Bashri. He narrated 12 hadiths.
3. The third hadith was narrated by Maimunah (radliyallahu anha).

For more details about Ibn Abbas and Maimunah, you can refer to my previous articles.

How to Bury a Cat in Islam?

Conclusion

In conclusion, Islam provides clear guidance on how to utilize animal carcass skins. By following the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and adhering to the process of tanning, we can purify and make use of these resources in a permissible way.

I hope this article helps clarify the topic of utilizing skins of animal carcasses according to Islam. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

May this be beneficial. Ameen!

See you in the next article!