41/5. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4248 — Cleaning and Tanning a Hide
With What The Skin Of A Dead Animal Is Tanned
Cleaning a Dead Sheep’s Hide with Water and Qaraz
Sunan an-Nasai : 4248
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4248
أَخْبَرَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، عَنِ ابْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، وَاللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ فَرْقَدٍ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَالِكِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ، حَدَّثَهُ عَنِ الْعَالِيَةِ بِنْتِ سُبَيْعٍ، أَنَّ مَيْمُونَةَ، زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَدَّثَتْهَا أَنَّهُ مَرَّ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رِجَالٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ يَجُرُّونَ شَاةً لَهُمْ مِثْلَ الْحِصَانِ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْ أَخَذْتُمْ إِهَابَهَا " . قَالُوا إِنَّهَا مَيْتَةٌ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يُطَهِّرُهَا الْمَاءُ وَالْقَرَظُ " .
Maimuna Narrated from:
Some men of Quraish passed by the Messenger of Allah dragging a sheep the size of a donkey. He said to them: "Why don't you take its skin?" They said: "It is dead meat." The Messenger of Allah said: "Purify it with water and Qaraz."
[1] Qaraz : the leaves of mimosa flava used for tanningReference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4248In-book reference : Book 41, Hadith 27English translation : Vol. 5, Book 41, Hadith 4253
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4248
This hadith tells of men from Quraish dragging a dead sheep. The Messenger of Allah asked why they did not take its skin. They replied that the sheep was dead meat. He then explained that water and Qaraz would purify the hide. The core topic is cleaning and tanning a dead animal hide rather than using the meat. The narration separates the dead sheep from the usefulness of its skin after treatment. It also names the materials mentioned in this report: water and Qaraz. The hadith does not describe another method or discuss every animal hide. Its practical message is that the sheep’s skin need not be wasted when it can be purified in the way stated.
What we learn from this hadith
- The men were encouraged to take the dead sheep’s skin.
- Water and Qaraz were named as the means of purifying the hide.
- The report distinguishes the dead meat from the treated skin.
