Is it permissible to sit on the skins of wild beasts? And is it permissible to use them as decoration in a car, for example?
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The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding the skins of wild beasts, such as tigers and these animals, is it permissible to sit on them, for example, placing them in the car, on the car seat, or on the dashboard in front of the driver?
The Shaykh : As for placing them in a way that does not involve sitting on them, there is no harm, such as on the car dashboard where one does not sit. However, sitting on them is not permissible, because a person sitting on them will not be free from sweat, water, or the like. The stronger opinion is that only the skin of an animal whose meat is lawful to eat in this life becomes pure through tanning. This becomes pure through tanning; so if a sheep, for example, dies and we take its skin, tan it, and make it into a water skin, it is pure and does not affect the water. Likewise, if we tan it and place it in a place for sitting, we may sit on it without harm. But what is forbidden to eat does not become pure through tanning. Yes, this is the stronger opinion, and there is disagreement in this matter; there is a long and extensive disagreement.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : All right, that is fine.
The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding the skins of wild beasts, such as tigers and these animals, is it permissible to sit on them, for example, placing them in the car, on the car seat, or on the dashboard in front of the driver?
The Shaykh : As for placing them in a way that does not involve sitting on them, there is no harm, such as on the car dashboard where one does not sit. However, sitting on them is not permissible, because a person sitting on them will not be free from sweat, water, or the like. The stronger opinion is that only the skin of an animal whose meat is lawful to eat in this life becomes pure through tanning. This becomes pure through tanning; so if a sheep, for example, dies and we take its skin, tan it, and make it into a water skin, it is pure and does not affect the water. Likewise, if we tan it and place it in a place for sitting, we may sit on it without harm. But what is forbidden to eat does not become pure through tanning. Yes, this is the stronger opinion, and there is disagreement in this matter; there is a long and extensive disagreement.
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : All right, that is fine.