Part of: Quran care and adab
AdabIs leather halal, and can you carry the Quran in a leather bag?
The majority of scholars hold that tanned leather from permissible animals such as cattle, goat and sheep is pure and may be used, based on the well-known hadith that tanning purifies a hide. Pigskin is excluded by most scholars. Carrying the Quran in a clean leather bag or cover is widely regarded as permissible. Muslims have used leather Quran covers for centuries. For your own situation, ask a scholar.
Handmade leather madrasah bag, coming soonRegister interest
The basis
A hadith recorded in Sahih Muslim states that when a hide is tanned, it is purified. Most scholars take this to mean that tanned hides of permissible animals are pure and usable, including for clothing, bags and book covers.
Points of difference
- Pigskin: most scholars hold it is not purified by tanning and should be avoided
- Hides of animals not slaughtered Islamically: many scholars say tanning purifies them too; some differ
- Dog skin: excluded in some schools
This is a summary of widely held positions, not a ruling. Ask your imam or a scholar you trust.
Carrying the Quran in leather
Leather covers and cases for the mushaf have a long history in the Muslim world. A clean leather bag or cover is widely seen as a respectful way to carry it. See carrying the Quran respectfully.
What to check when buying
- Ask what animal the leather is from. Cowhide is the most common for bags.
- Avoid unlabelled "leather" where the source is unknown, if that matters to you
Our bag is handmade in bovine (cow) leather from the Clyde Tannery in Scotland. The hides are a by-product of the food industry, so no animal is slaughtered for its leather. If the slaughter method matters to you, ask your scholar how the tanning ruling applies.
Questions people also ask
Is it haram to use leather?
Most scholars hold that tanned leather from permissible animals is pure and permissible to use. Pigskin is excluded by most. Ask a scholar for your situation.
More on quran care and adab
← How to carry the Quran respectfully: the full topic guide
- Teaching children to look after the Quran
- What is a mushaf?
- What is a ghilaf?
- Wudu and touching the Quran
- What is a rehal?
- Quran pages getting bent or crumpled in the bag
- Quran got wet in the bag: what to do
- Quran binding coming loose or pages falling out
- The Quran fell on the floor: what should I do?
- How to store Qurans at home
- Too many Qurans at home: what to do with extra copies
- How to make a simple Quran cover
- Travelling with a Quran: flights, Umrah and holidays
- Where do bags go in a quran circle?