Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assallam aleikum, My question is concerning crocodile farming is one permitted to farm crocodiles to attract tourists and to sell crocodile leather not to consume the meat is it haram for one to kill an animal for its skin are you allowed to use the skin of animal that is haram for one to eat. I came across a hadith i am not sure if it is authentic that tanning purifies the leather of a animal that is haram for consumption please advice. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Tanning of crocodile

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Muminoon verses 21-22:

21 And in cattle (too) ye have an instructive example: from within their bodies We produce (milk) for you to drink; there are in them (besides) numerous (other) benefits for you; and of their (meat) ye eat;

22 And on them as well as in ships ye ride.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 36 Surah Yaa Seen verses 71-73:

71 See they not that it is We Who have created for them among the things which Our Hands have fashioned: cattle, which are under their dominion?

72 And that We have subjected them to their (use)? Of them some do carry them and some they eat:

73 And they have (other) profits from them (besides); and they get (milk) to drink. Will they not then be grateful?

The absolute majority of the scholars and jurists in Islam are of the opinion that amongst the ‘other’ benefits of animals as related in the Glorious Quran imply the usage of their skins, fur, wool, hair, etc.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 1.15

Purifying the skin of dead animals

Tanning purifies the skin and the fur of a dead animal. This is based on the hadith of Ibn 'Abbas, in which the Prophet (saws) said, "If the animal's skin is tanned, it is purified."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 659 Narrated by Al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah

The Messenger of Allah (saws) used to pray on a mat and on a tanned skin.

The scholars and jurists in Islam are unanimous in their opinion that the tanned skin of all animals (except the swine and the dog) is considered absolutely pure for the believers to wear or use as they will.

There is a difference of opinion amongst the scholars regarding the usage of swine and dog skins. Amongst the four major schools of thought Imam Maalik and Imam Abu Hanifah say the hadith regarding the purification of the skin when tanned (quoted above) is general without any exception; thus the tanned skin of even the swine or dog too would be considered pure. But Imam Hanbal and Imam Shafei are of the opinion that the swine and the dog have been declared ‘najis’ (absolutely impure) in its entirety, and thus even if its skin is tanned it would not be considered pure. But other than the skins of the swine and the dog, the tanned skin of every other animal (land, sea, or air) is absolutely pure and permissible for the believers to wear or use as they please. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

To the best of our knowledge there is no restriction in Shariah Law if one wishes to earn one’s livelihood through crocodile farming or raising crocodiles for its leather.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan