Third: the report traced back to the Prophet through Ḥudhayfah. Al-Bayhaqī said, “It is uniquely narrated by Baḥr ibn Kanīz, who has been discarded; no proof can be drawn from his ḥadīths.”

You can therefore see that these narrations are extremely weak; their weakness cannot be offset by combining them, as al-Shawkānī and others well know. I do not understand what caused him to differ on this point!

His remark under number 4: “The Ḥanafīs hold that touching the male organ does not nullify ablution, on the basis of Ṭalq’s ḥadīth: A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about someone who touches his private part—does he need to perform ablution? He replied, ‘No, it is merely a piece of you.’” The Five collected the report, and Ibn Ḥibbān declared it authentic.

I say: The Prophet’s ﷺ statement, “It is merely a piece of you,” subtly indicates that the touch which does not invalidate ablution is the one unaccompanied by passion. In that state, touching the organ can be likened to touching any other part of the body. When, however, it is touched with desire, the analogy no longer applies, for touching other limbs is ordinarily free of lust. This is self-evident.

Accordingly, the ḥadīth is not a proof for the Ḥanafīs, who argue that any touch whatsoever leaves ablution intact. Rather, it supports those who hold that touching without desire does not break ablution, whereas touching with desire does, as evidenced by the ḥadīth of Busrah. In this manner the two reports are reconciled, and this is the position selected by Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah in some of his works, as far as I recall. Allah knows best.