5 – This reconciliation is bolstered by a principle cited by Ibn Mufliḥ in al-Furūʿ: whenever a weak ḥadith, by its wording, appears to impose an obligation or to declare something forbidden, it is treated—by way of precaution—as merely recommended in the case of a command and merely disliked in the case of a prohibition. Muslims, therefore, are not bound to treat its ruling as strictly obligatory or strictly unlawful.

6 – As for the Prophet’s words, “and whoever carries it should perform ablution,” al-Ṣanʿānī says: “I know of no scholar who requires ablution for the mere act of carrying a corpse. The term ablution here is explained as washing the hands only; hence washing the hands is recommended for the one who carries the deceased, which accords with the cleanliness taught by Islam. The recommendation to wash the hands is also supported by the report from Ibn ʿAbbās, ‘It is enough for you to wash your hands.’

Were it not for the existence of this explanatory report, the absence of any jurist who obligates ablution after carrying the dead, and the manifest weakness found in the primary ḥadith itself, we would have understood the word ablution in its full legal sense—namely, the ritual ablution that includes washing the four limbs—for the default rule with the terminology of the Law is to carry its words upon their technical meanings.

7 – The term “carrying” here is unrestricted, whether a person lifts the body with his own hands or transports it in its bier.