Selling the raw hide of a carcass

Question

Question: The raw hide of a dead animal — a goat or sheep — which the Chamars (an Indian caste of leatherworkers, regarded as low) take off and bring, and which is raw, is bought by Muslims, who then rub salt and the like on it with their own hands. In such a case, how is applying salt with one’s own hands, and what is the ruling?

Answer

The raw hide of a carcass, without tanning (dibagha), is impure and haram; buying it is also haram — this is a void (batil) sale. After tanning it will become pure, and buying and selling it will also be valid. First let it be tanned by having the Chamars and the like apply salt and so on to it, and then let it be bought.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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