upon the view that touching a woman with desire invalidates ablution. It has already been stated that the preponderant view is that it does not invalidate ablution unless something is discharged.
Washing a deceased person invalidates ablution, ………
His statement, “Washing a deceased person invalidates [ablution],” refers to the sixth of the things that invalidate ablution.
Ghasl, with a fatḥah, means the act of washing; with a ḍammah, it means the state resulting from washing. Thus, the meaning of “washing a deceased person invalidates [ablution]” is: washing a deceased person, whether one washes the entire body or part of it.
His statement, “a deceased person,” includes males and females, young and old, free persons and slaves, even when washing is done through a barrier. This is because the author says “washing,” rather than “touching.” Thus, if one places a cloth over his hand and proceeds to wash the deceased, his ablution is invalidated in all cases. This is the position adopted by the author; it is the established position of the Hanbali school and one of the rulings unique to Imam Ahmad’s school (1), since the other three Imams held the contrary view (2).
The scholars of the school cited the following evidence:
- It is narrated from Ibn Umar, Abu Hurayrah, and Ibn Abbas—may Allah be pleased with them—that they instructed the one who washes a deceased person to perform ablution (3).