During the Eid-ul-Azha festival, when a large number of animals are sacrificed, the Qawmi educational institutions in Bangladesh encourage people donate the raw hide or money from the sale of the animal skin.
Various madrasas even go to the extent of circulating posters to encourage the people to follow suit. Mostly madrasa students, and sometimes teachers, go around collecting the animal skins.
But what do they do with them and does Islam permit donating skins of sacrificial animals to madrasas?
Jamia Quarania Arabia Lalbagh Madrasa's Mufti Faijullah says the money from the sale of hides of sacrificial animals is spent solely for the poor students.
Islam allows the person, who sacrifices animals, to use the skin but if she or he sells the skin, the person must donate the money to the destitute.
Sholakia's Khatib Farid Uddin Masud said: “Even if someone does not use the skin of sacrificial animals, they will have to donate the money from the sale of the skin to the poor, who are eligible for 'Zakat' (a form of charity according the Islamic law).
“But according to Islamic law, donating skins of sacrificial animals or money from it to madrasas and mosques is not permitted. However, a madrasa providing free lodging and food to the destitute is eligible.
“In our country, usually the raw hides are collected by Qawmi madrasas to foot the cost of upbringing poor students. In this case, it is best to donate hides to the madrasas because, one hand it is donating to the destitute and on the other, it gives poor children opportunity to study.”