Preparing the deceased, washing him, and hastening to do so

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever dies in the morning should spend the midday in his grave, and whoever dies in the evening should spend the night only in his grave (that is, he should be buried quickly)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, al-Hakam bin Zuhayr, and he is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When the time of death drew near for Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), he asked: "What day is today?" People told him: "Today is Monday." He said: "If I pass away tonight, do not wait for tomorrow, for the dearest of all days and nights to me is the one that brings me closest to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
Ahmad recorded it. It contains Ahmad's teacher, Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Muyassar Abu Sa'd, whom many people declared da'if (weak). Ahmad says he is saduq (truthful).

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever digs a grave, Allah Almighty will build a house for him in Paradise. Whoever washes a deceased person comes out of his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him. Whoever shrouds a deceased person, Allah Almighty will clothe him in a garment of Paradise. Whoever consoles a grieving person, Allah Almighty will clothe him with the garment of piety (taqwa) and will send mercy upon his soul among all the souls. Whoever consoles a person struck by calamity, Allah Almighty will clothe him in two of the garments of Paradise, which the whole world could not equal in value. Whoever follows a funeral until it is buried, three qirats are recorded for him, one qirat of which is greater than Mount Uhud. Whoever takes care of an orphan or a widow, Allah Almighty will give him His shade and will admit him to Paradise."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, al-Khalil bin Murrah, and he has been criticised.

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever washes a deceased person and conceals (his faults), Allah Almighty purifies that person of his sins; and if he shrouds him (that is, the deceased), Allah Almighty will clothe him in fine silk (sundus)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Abdullah al-Shami, who narrated from Abu Khalid; I have not found anyone giving his biography.

Sayyiduna Abu Rafi' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever washes a deceased person and keeps his matter concealed, Allah Almighty forgives forty of that person's major sins. And whoever digs a grave for his brother until he buries him in it, it is as if he has provided him a dwelling until the time he is raised again."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever washes a deceased person, fulfils the trust in doing so, and does not spread what he saw of him at the time of washing, comes out of his sins as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The task of washing the deceased should be done by the one closest to the deceased, if he knows how; and if he does not know, then by the one whom you consider to have a share of piety and trustworthiness."
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator, Jabir al-Ju'fi, and he has been heavily criticised.

Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah bin Hudayj (may Allah be pleased with him), who had the honour of being a Companion, says: Whoever washes a deceased person, shrouds him, goes with the funeral and takes charge of his body, by the time he returns he has been forgiven.
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator, Salih Abu Hujayr, and he is majhul (unknown).

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reports this saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The deceased recognises the one who carries him, the one who washes him and the one who lowers him into his grave."
(The narrator says:) Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both), who was present in that gathering, asked: "From whom did you hear this narration?" He replied: "From Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him)." Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) went to Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), from whom did you hear this?" He replied: "From the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat) recorded it, and its chain contains a man whose biography I have not found anyone giving.

Muhammad bin Sirin narrates: I washed Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him). When I reached his private parts, I said to his son: "You have more right to wash his private parts; now you take over and wash them." That son began washing him; a cloth was wrapped around his hand, and there was also a cloth over the body of Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). He washed his private parts from beneath the cloth.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain is hasan (good).

Humayd narrates: When Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, a vial was also placed in his hanut (embalming perfume), in which the sweat of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was mixed.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her), the mother of Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a woman dies and people (that is, women) intend to wash her, they should begin first with her abdomen. They should gently pass the hand over her abdomen if she is not pregnant; if she is pregnant, then they should not move her. If you intend to wash her, begin first with her lower part, and place a cloth over her private parts that covers them. Then take cotton and wash her with it, and wash her well. Then put your hand beneath the cloth and wipe her with cotton three times; then wipe her well before you give her ablution. Then wash her with water in which lote-tree (sidr) leaves have been mixed, and let a woman pour the water while standing, doing no other task besides that, until she has been cleaned with the lote-tree leaves while you keep washing. The one in charge of the woman's washing should be her closest female relative; otherwise, a woman who is a Muslim and pious. If she is young or weak, then another woman who is pious and a Muslim should take charge of it. When she has finished washing her lower part, which has been thoroughly cleaned with lote-tree leaves and water, then that woman should give the deceased ablution like the ablution for prayer; this is the description of her ablution. Then after that she should wash her three times with water and lote-tree leaves, beginning with the head before everything else, washing it clean with lote-tree leaves along with water, and she should not comb her hair with a comb. If something (hadath) issues from her after washing her three times, then wash her five times; if it happens after five times, then wash her seven times. In every case the use of water and lote-tree leaves should be an odd number of times. In the fifth or the third washing, a little camphor and a little lote-tree should be added, and it should be kept in a new earthen pot. Then sit her body up and pour water over her, beginning with her head until it reaches her feet. When you have finished with that, place a clean cloth over her, then put your hand beneath the cloth and remove her clothing. Then put cotton into her lower part as much as you can, and fill the cotton in. Then take a long, washed sibti cloth and tie it around her hips, the way a waist-cord is tied. Then make a knot between her two thighs and bring her two thighs together. Then lay one end of that cord over her side so that it is near her knee. This is the matter of her lower part. Then apply perfume to her and shroud her, and braid her hair into three plaits: one large bun and two side locks, and do not make her resemble men. A woman's shroud should consist of five cloths, one of which is a waist-wrapper (izar) that you wrap around her thighs. Do not remove any of her hair with lime (nurah) or anything else. Whatever of her hair has fallen out, wash it and then put it into the hair of her head. Apply perfume to the hair of her head, and apply it well. Do not wash her with heated water. After covering her, apply a little perfume to her shroud seven times if you wish, and keep each of these at an odd number; and if you see fit to perfume her with incense on her bier, keep that at an odd number too. This is the matter of her shroud and her head. If her body was swollen, then take one cloth, wash her with water, and seek out and clean every part of her, and do not move her, for I fear that something may come out of her that cannot be put back."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir with two chains. One chain contains a narrator, Layth bin Abi Sulaym, who is a mudallis (one who conceals defects in the chain), but he is thiqah (trustworthy). The other chain contains a narrator, Junayd; he has been declared trustworthy, and he has also been somewhat criticised.

Sayyiduna al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Whoever washes a deceased person should take a bath (ghusl)."
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains a narrator who has not been named.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: It is from the Sunnah that one of you women should keep something on her hands or her neck which is taken off her when she is placed on the board for her washing.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator who is not known.

Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever washes a deceased person should take a bath (ghusl)."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat as a narration of Abu Ishaq al-Sabi'i from his father, and I have not found anyone mentioning his father.

Ibrahim al-Nakha'i narrates: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the person who washes a deceased: should he take a bath? He said: "Do you think that your companion (that is, the deceased) was impure, so that you would take a bath? Ablution is sufficient for you."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), except that Ibrahim al-Nakha'i did not hear from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).