His statement, “Then his relatives through the maternal line,” means those related by the womb.
They are every relative who is neither a Qur’anic heir with a prescribed share nor an agnatic heir. Thus, for example, one’s maternal grandfather is among the relatives through the maternal line, whereas one’s paternal grandmother is not among them. However, she does not wash a man, so she does not present an issue for us here, even though she is among those entitled to prescribed shares.
Then the woman appointed in her will, then the nearest and then the next nearest among her female relatives. Each spouse may wash the other, ............
His statement, “Then the woman appointed in her will,” is as we explained previously regarding a man.
His statement, “Then the nearest and then the next nearest among her female relatives”: he did not say, “Then the nearest and then the next nearest among the agnatic relatives,” because women are not agnatic heirs except through a male relative or alongside one. This is why he said, “the nearest and then the next nearest among her female relatives.” Accordingly, we say that the person with the greatest right to wash a woman after her death is the woman appointed in her will, then her mother and then her grandmothers, then her daughter and then her female descendants, then her sister—whether a full sister, a sister through the father, or a sister through the mother—then her paternal aunts, then her maternal aunts, and so on.
His statement, “Each spouse may wash the other,” means may perform the washing. Thus, a husband may wash his wife when she dies, and a wife may wash her husband when he dies.
The evidence for this is the previously mentioned hadith of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him: “He instructed that his wife, Asma’ bint Umays, should wash him” (1).
The converse is likewise established, for it is narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her: “If you were to die before me, I would wash you” (2).