Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Question : Can Prayer Beads Made From Unslaughtered Animal Bones Be Used?
Answer: In the Hanafi school, the bones of all animals (other than pigs) are ritually pure (tahir), regardless of whether the animal was slaughtered or not.
Imam Marghinani (Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Hidaya: The hair of unslaughtered animals and their bones are ritually pure) because they are not [considered to be] characterized by life [1.96].
This is because life is considered to relate to flesh and blood, as the scholars explain.
Therefore, prayer beads from various bone or tusks are pure and permissible in the Hanafi school. However, bone or tusks of unslaughtered animals are considered impure in some other madhhabs so if someone wanted to be cautious, it would be better to avoid them because it is praiseworthy and recommended (not obligatory) to avoid the difference of opinion of other madhhabs.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani