This article presents the rulings related to everyday objects and their materials according to the Hanbali madhhab. The material is summarized from Sharh Muntaha al-Iradat, Kashshaf al-Qina, and Matalib Uli al-Nuha.

General Principle

The basic principle is that any object made from a pure material may be acquired and used, such as lamps, furniture, utensils, doors, and similar items.

This includes objects made from valuable materials such as crystal, rubies, emeralds, and other precious stones, as well as common materials like wood, glass, leather, brass, and iron.

The following are exceptions to this general rule:

• Objects made from human bones or skin.
• Usurped or stolen property.
• Items purchased with unlawfully acquired wealth.
• Objects made from, or decorated with, gold or silver, except where a specific concession exists.

Purification Using Prohibited Objects

Although it is sinful to use objects made from gold or silver, purification remains valid whether one performs wuduʾ or ghusl with them, from them, in them, or into them.

The same ruling applies to usurped or stolen objects and to objects purchased with unlawfully acquired wealth. Likewise, purification performed in a usurped place remains valid, even though occupying that place is sinful.

Exceptions to the Prohibition of Gold and Silver

While the general rule is that objects made from or decorated with gold and silver are prohibited to acquire and use, the scholars recognized a limited number of exceptions.

Repairing an Object with Silver

An object repaired with a small amount of silver is permitted when there is a genuine need, such as mending a cracked vessel.

This concession is subject to three conditions:

1. The repair uses only a small amount of silver according to customary usage.
2. The repair is made out of need, not decoration.
3. The repair is made with silver, not gold.

Touching the repaired portion when needed is permissible, while doing so without need is disliked.

Women’s Jewelry

Gold and silver jewelry is permitted for women because of their need to beautify themselves for their husbands. This concession is specific to jewelry and does not extend to vessels or other everyday objects made from or decorated with gold or silver.

Regarding the Property of Non-Muslims

Items manufactured, handled, owned or sold by non-Muslims, such as clothing, utensils, food containers, and fabrics, are presumed pure unless there is certain knowledge that they have become impure.

The default ruling is purity, so there is no need to investigate how such items were made or handled based on mere doubt. If an item is known to be impure, it becomes pure after being washed according to the rules of purification.

The Skin of a Dead Animal

According to the Hanbali school, the skin of an animal that dies without proper Islamic slaughter does not become pure through tanning^[1]. Therefore, it remains impure and is generally impermissible to use.

However, tanning the hide of an animal that was pure during life is itself permissible. Although tanning does not purify the hide according to the madhhab, it allows the hide to be used for dry items, such as a leather wallet or couch. It remains impermissible to use it for items that store liquids.

Animals that are impure during life, such as dogs, do not become pure through slaughter or tanning. Likewise, the skins of predatory animals remain impure and may not be used.

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1. Tanning is the process of treating raw animal hides to produce leather using substances that remove moisture and preserve the hide. Mere sun-drying, dusting with earth, exposure to wind, or impure substances does not constitute tanning. ↩︎