Salat al-Wahsha (The Prayer of Loneliness)

Salat al-Wahsha (Arabic: صلاة الوحشة), also called "Salat Laylat al-Dafn" (Prayer of the Burial Night), is a special prayer in Shia Islam performed on the deceased's first night in the grave. Wahsha means "loneliness" or "fear," and the prayer is performed to ease the soul of the deceased in its first night in the grave.

The prayer consists of two rak'ah: in the first rak'ah, Surah Al-Fatiha and Ayat al-Kursi are recited, and in the second, Surah Al-Fatiha and Surah Al-Qadr ten times. After the prayer, one says: "Allahumma salli ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad, wab'ath thawabaha ila qabri fulan" (O Allah, bless Muhammad and Muhammad's family, and send its reward to the grave of [the deceased]).

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said about the first night in the grave: "The deceased has the greatest need for his brothers' prayer on the first night" (Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih by Shaykh al-Saduq, vol. 1). This narration underscores the importance of praying for the deceased, especially in the first hours after burial.

Salat al-Wahsha can be prayed by any Muslim on behalf of the deceased — typically a family member, a friend, or a person engaged for this purpose. The prayer expresses the Islamic community's care for its members even after death, and the belief that the prayers of the living can benefit the souls of the deceased. For Shia Muslims, it is important to know of this tradition to be able to perform it when a community member passes away.