“And cleanse him of sins and misdeeds as a white garment is cleansed of filth; and grant him a home better than his home, and a spouse better than his spouse …”

His statement, “And cleanse him of sins and misdeeds as a white garment is cleansed of filth”: the wording reported in the hadith is, “And cleanse him of misdeeds.” (1)

Misdeeds is the plural of a term referring to whatever departs from what is right, whether it consists of doing what is prohibited or abandoning what is commanded.

As for the phrase, “of sins”: if the hadith were authentically established with the wording, “sins and misdeeds,” as cited by the author, we would say that sins refers to minor sins, while misdeeds refers to major sins. However, the hadith has been transmitted with the wording “misdeeds” alone.

Accordingly, we say that “misdeeds” here includes both minor and major sins.

His statement, “as a white garment is cleansed of filth,” is a comparison intended to convey the thoroughness of the cleansing—that is, cleanse him completely, just as a white garment is cleansed of filth. White is specified because filth is more visible on white than it is on other colours.

His statement, “And grant him a home better than his home”: the first home is the abode of this world, the second is the abode of the intermediary realm, and there is a third abode: the abode of the Hereafter.

His statement, “And grant him a home better than his home,” encompasses both abodes: the abode of the intermediary realm and the abode of the Hereafter.

His statement, “and a spouse better than his spouse,” applies whether the person over whom the funeral prayer is offered is a man or a woman.