Tanning hide
Is the hide of dead animals pure or impure according to Hanbali school of thought?
It is impure.
If you tan it does it become pure?
No, not according to the Hanbali school of thought.
What is their evidence for this view of theirs?
Hadith of Abd Allaah 'Ukaim.
What does the opposition say?
They say that if you tan the hide of the dead animal it becomes pure.
What is their evidence?
The hadith of Maimuna.
What do the Hanaabilah say about the hadith of Maimuna?
They say it is abrogated.
How does the opposition respond to this claim of the Hanaabilah?
They say we cannot ascertain if it is abrogated or not.
What is their reasoning?
They say that for abrogation to come into effect you need to know the dates of the two hadith. We do not know if the hadith of Maimuna came before or after the hadith of Abd Allaah 'Ukaim.
What if we accept that the hadith came after? Then what does the opposition say?
They say it still cannot be used as evidence.
What is their reasoning?
Some say it is weak.
If we accept it is not weak and is authentic then what does the opposition have to say?
They say we can reconcile between the two hadith.
How can we reconcile between the two hadiith?
The hadith of Abd Allaah 'Ukaim is general. The hadith of Maimuna is specific and explicit.
The hadith of Abd Allaah 'Ukaim will be read in context with the hadith of Maimuna and will mean that you cannot benefit from a dead animal's hide unless it is tanned. If you tan it then it becomes pure and you can benefit from it.
What is the hadith of Abd Allaah 'Ukaim?
Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Ukaim:
"A letter came from the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying: 'Do not use the skins of dead animals, nor tendons.'"
[Jaami’ al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 1729]
What is the hadith of Maimuna?
The freed slave-girl of Maimuna was given a goat in charity but it died. The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) happened to pass by that (carcass). Upon this be said:
Why did you not take off its skin? You could put it to use, after tanning it. They (the Companions) said: It was dead. Upon, this he (the Messenger of Allah) said: Only its eating is prohibited. Abu bakr and Ibn Umar in their narrations said: It is narrated from Maimuna (may Allah be pleased with her).
[Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 363]