Men and women’s dress code in Islam and the world (3)

On objects made from animal skins

The skins of animals that become halaal through proper slaughter are pure (taahir), because they become good through the process of proper slaughter, such as the skins of camels, cattle, sheep, gazelles, rabbits and so on, whether they are tanned or not tanned.

As for the skins of animals whose meat we cannot eat, such as dogs, wolves, lions, elephants and the like, it is impure (naajis), whether it is slaughtered or it dies or is killed, because even if it is slaughtered it does not become halaal and cannot be good, so it is naajis, whether it is tanned or not tanned.

This is according to the most correct opinion, because the most correct opinion is that impure skins cannot be made pure through tanning if they come from animals which we are not permitted to slaughter for food.

As for the skins of animals which have died before they could be slaughtered properly, if these are tanned then they become pure, but before they are tanned they are impure.

So now animal skins may be divided into three types: The first type: those which are pure whether they are tanned or not, which are the skins of animals that may be eaten if they are slaughtered correctly. The second type: skins which cannot be pure either before or after tanning, because they are impure.

These are the skins of animals whose meat we cannot eat, like pigs. The third type: skins which become pure after tanning, but are not pure before tanning. These are the skins of animals whose meat may be eaten if they are slaughtered properly but not if they die otherwise.

Liqa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 52/39. 5.0 WEARING OR SITTING ON SKINS OF WILD ANIMALS Referring to the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari (5175) from al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade almayaathir.

Al-mayaathir was a kind of blanket that they used to put on the saddle of the horse, which was made of silk. And some of the scholars interpreted it as referring to the skins of wild animals.

AlHaafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Or it may be understood as referring to a stuffed cushion made of animal skin. Fath al-Baari, 10/293. It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade wearing the skins of wild animals or sitting on them.

It was narrated that al-Miqdaam ibn Ma’diyakrib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbidding the wearing of animal skins or riding on saddles made from them.

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4131; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3479. Al-Tirmidhi (1771) and al-Nasaa’i (4253) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) forbade using animal skins as furnishings. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh alTirmidhi, 1450.

It was narrated from Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade tiger skins. Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4239; vclassed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3566.

It was narrated from Mu’aawiyah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The angels do not accompany a group of people among whom there is a tiger skin.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4130; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3478. Al-Mubaarakfoori said in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi: The ahaadeeth indicate that it is not permissible to make use of animal skins.

The reasons why it is forbidden to make use of them are: 1 – That involves arrogance and showing off, because it is an imitation of tyrants, and because such things are the adornment of those who live luxurious and extravagant lives. See Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, and Haashiyat al-Sindi ‘ala Ibn Maajah. We may add another reason to that, which is that they are naajis (impure), because tanning does not make any skin pure except the skin of an animal that we are permitted to eat.

Whatever we are not permitted to eat, its skin cannot be made pure by tanning. This is the view of al-Awzaa’i, ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak and Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh, and it was narrated from Imam Ahmad. See Sharh Saheeh Muslim by al-Nawawi, 4/54; al-Furoo’ by Ibn Muflih, 1/102 this was also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), according to one of his two opinions.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 21/95. This view was also favoured by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him); al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 1/74. If it is haraam to use these skins, it make no difference whether they are worn inside the house or outside, The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that the angels do not accompany a group of people among whom there is a tiger skin, as stated above.

It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood: The hadeeth indicates that it is makrooh to use tiger skins or to take them along on a journey or to bring them into the house, because the fact that the angels do not accompany a group of people among whom there is a tiger skin indicates that the angels do not join a group or enter a house where that thing is present. That can only be because it is not permissible to use it, as it was narrated that the angels do not enter a house in which there are images or pictures. That is taken as evidence that images are haraam and that putting them in houses is haraam.

This applies if the clothes mentioned in the question are made from real tiger skins. With regard to synthetic skins whose colours resemble the colours of animal skins, it is better for him to avoid them so that he will not be accused by someone who does not know what they really are of wearing animal skins which it is haraam to wear.