Bismillahi Al-Rahmani Al-Rahim

Leather Revisited
Isa Martin wrote:
So one of the opinions of Imam Ahmad (May Allah have mercy upon him) and confirmed by Shaykh Ibn Tayymiyah is that if the skin comes from an unslaughtered animal (that would be halal if slaughtered like a cow or sheep) that leather is pure irregardless of if it was slaughtered or not. However, if the skin comes from an unslaughtered animal (that is not allowed to eat such as a tiger) it would only be pure if it was properly slaughtered.  Is this correct?  This is a minority opinion of the madhab which would not be taught as the actual relied upon position but a strong opinion nonetheless with
even a supporting hadith. (though I am aware that there is another hadith to support the majority opinion as well, I was thinking to post an excerpt
from Bidayat al-Mujtahid which discusses the two hadith)  So, I could still use cowhide leather from Western countries and be following the school of Imam Ahmad?  Am I correct?
[end]

The opinion of Ibn Taymiyah that was posted requires that it be an edible animal. The Hanafis, however, seem to take the position that tanning will purify any skin with perhaps the exception of pigs. Please do post the section from Bidayat Al-Mujtahid.

I do not think that you could follow Ibn Taymiyyah's position and consider it following it following the mathab, and I am uncertain whether or not you could even consider it a strong opinion. My sheikh has told me that you can follow positions in books that used to be used for fatwa, such as the works of Ibn Qudama, but this is a bit more complicated. In sha Allah I can ask.