Is it permissible to cremate human bodies in exceptional circumstances for fear of the spread of epidemics, especially in cases of wars and natural disasters, and the impossibility of normal legitimate burial?

It is not permissible to cremate a deceased body, for it possesses sanctity akin to that of a living person. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Breaking the bone of a dead person is like breaking it while he is alive." And cremating it after death is akin to cremating it while he is alive. However, if a disaster occurs resulting in a large number of casualties, and it becomes impossible to bury them, and their remaining unburied poses a danger to the living, according to reports from experts, then there is no sin in cremating them to preserve the safety of others and to avert harm from them.