The Ruling on the Hadith: "Whoever Washes a Muslim and Covers His Defect"

Question:
What is the authenticity of the hadith that says: "Whoever washes a Muslim and covers his defect will come out of his sins as on the day his mother bore him"? And is it obligatory to recite the opening supplication when praying over the deceased, or not?

Answer:
I do not know of any basis for this hadith: "Whoever washes a Muslim and covers his defect will come out of his sins as on the day his mother bore him." I do not know of any basis for it, but it is recommended to cover the faults of the deceased and not to disclose any of their bad traits that may appear.
It is recommended for the one who washes the body to cover the faults of people, to display their good traits, and to conceal their bad traits. This is what the scholars have stated, and there are some weak hadiths regarding this. So the Sunnah is that the one who washes the body covers up if he sees something that disturbs him and does not make it clear, because this is a type of backbiting. But if he sees light, or sees good traits, he makes that clear.