Section: It is not permissible to eat it after tanning, according to the majority of scholars. It has been narrated from Ibn Hamid that it is permissible, which is an opinion held by the companions of al-Shafi'i, due to his saying: "The tanning of the hide is its dhabh (purification)," and because it is a process that yields purity in the skin, thus rendering eating it permissible just like slaughtering.

Our argument is the saying of the Almighty: "Forbidden to you is the dead animal (maytah)," and the skin is a part of it. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "It is only the eating of the dead animal that has been forbidden." This is a matter of consensus (27). It is a part of the dead animal, so eating it is forbidden like its other parts. Furthermore, purity does not necessarily imply the permissibility of eating, as evidenced by impure things (al-khaba'ith) which do not become impure due to death. Furthermore, their qiyas (analogy) cannot be accepted when it entails abandoning the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Section: It is permissible to sell it, lease it, and utilize it for every purpose for which it is possible to be utilized (28), except for eating, because it has become equivalent to an animal slaughtered according to Islamic law (mudhakka) in regards to everything other than eating. It is not permissible to sell it before it is tanned because it is impure (najis), and there is a consensus regarding the impurity of its substance, so it resembles a pig.

Section: That which is used for tanning must be capable of drying out moisture and purifying the waste matter, such as alum (al-shabb) (29) and qarad (30). Ibn 'Aqil said: It is a condition that the tanning agent itself be pure. If it is impure, it does not purify the skin, because this is purification from impurity (najasah), and it cannot be achieved with an impure substance, just like istijmar (cleaning oneself with stones after defecation) and washing.

As for whether the skin is purified by the mere act of tanning before washing it with water, there are two opinions:

The first: It is not achieved, due to the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, regarding the skin of a dead sheep: "Water and qarad purify it" (30). Narrated by Abu Dawud (31). Also, because the substance used for tanning became impure upon meeting the skin; if the skin is tanned, the agent remains impure, and thus the impurity of the skin remains due to its contact with it, so it is not removed except by washing.