Is the tanned hide of a carcass pure or impure?

Chapter on Utensils

Al-Mughni

Book of Purification

Book 2 · Issue 2 · Bab 3

Open in Qurani

Primary text

The famous position within the school holds that the tanned hide remains impure. This view is attributed to Imam Malik, Umar, Abdullah ibn Umar, Imran ibn Husayn, and Aisha. A second narration from Imam Ahmad states that the skin is purified by tanning if the animal was pure in life.

Supporting text

Another narration, attributed to a group including Ata, Al-Hasan, Ash-Sha'bi, An-Nakh'i, Qatadah, Yahya al-Ansari, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Al-Awza'i, Al-Layth, Ath-Thawri, Ibn al-Mubarak, and Ishaq, holds that tanning purifies the hide. This aligns with the position of Ash-Shafi'i, who generally considers all animals pure except dogs and pigs, whose hides remain impure. Abu Hanifa holds that all hides are purified by tanning except for the pig's hide. Abu Yusuf narrated a view that all hides are purified.