Is leather tanned via modern methods still considered pure?
The question of whether leather tanned using modern methods is considered pure has roots in both Qur'anic injunctions and hadith. The Qur'an states, Thy raiment purify,
indicating the importance of cleanliness in what one wears 74:4. This verse underscores the need for purity in all aspects of life, including clothing and items made from animal hides.
From the perspective of hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that When the hide is tanned, it is purified
Sahih Muslim 3:133. This principle has been widely accepted by scholars, indicating that any hide, when properly tanned, becomes pure. In various narrations, the Prophet further emphasized this, stating, Any tanned leather is purified
Sunan al-Tirmidhi 24:9 and Once the skin has been tanned, it is purified
Sunan Abu Dawud 34:104.
Ibn Kathir also notes that the process of tanning transforms the hide's state, making it permissible to use (though he focuses on traditional methods). Based on these teachings, scholars generally agree that modern tanning methods, which follow the same basic principles of removing impurities and preserving the hide, would also render the leather pure.
Thus, leather tanned through modern methods that adhere to the principles of purification established in the Qur'an and Sunnah is typically considered pure, as the essence of purification remains intact.
Sources
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74:4 · Al-Muddaththir
74:4 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ
Thy raiment purify,
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Sahih Muslim 3:133
Sahih Muslim · Book 3, Hadith 133 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'When the hide is tanned, it is purified.'
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Sunan al-Tirmidhi 24:9
Sunan al-Tirmidhi · Book 24, Hadith 9 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas
The Messenger of Allah said, 'Any tanned leather is purified.' Most scholars base their rulings on this, stating that even skins of carrion become purified when tanned, except those of dogs and pigs. Some scholars from the Prophet’s companions and others disliked skins of wild beasts and were strict in their wearing and praying in them. It is understood that 'tanned leather' means the skin of an animal whose meat is permissible to eat.
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Sunan Abu Dawud 34:104
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 34, Hadith 104 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, 'Once the skin has been tanned, it is purified.'
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