Are you allowed to pray after you have taken intoxicants or do you have to wait for 40 days?

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

Answer

Allah Ta’ala says:

??? ???????? ????????? ???????? ???????? ????????? ????????????? ???????????? ????????????? ?????? ????? ?????? ???????????? ?????????????? ??????????? ???????????

(Ma’idah:90)

Translation:

Oh you who believe! Intoxicants, gambling, animals sacrificed for other than Allah Ta’ala, and the arrows used superstitiously for seeking luck and making decisions are an abomination of shaitaan’s handiwork. So strictly avoid it in order that you may be successful.

The reason for it being forbidden is that it causes the mind of man to be useless which negatively affects his social as well as spiritual life. It creates enmity and hatred in his social life and it makes one unmindful of his Salah and remembrance of Allah Ta’ala.

It is mentioned in most commentaries of hadith regarding the person who consumes intoxicants that Allah (S) does not accept his Salah for 40 days as is mentioned in ‘at-Tayseer’ the commentary of ‘Jami’ Sagheer’:

(????? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ) ??? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ( ??? ??? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ) ???? ????? ??? ????? ( ??????)

(derived from at-Tayseer Sahrah Jami’ Sagheer Vol:1 Pg:1086) (see also Faidh al-Qadeer Vol:3 Pg: 678)

Translation:

Wine (or Intoxicants) is the mother of all immorality, whoever drinks it, his Salah is not accepted for forty days, this is due to the fact that it remains in his system (veins and muscles) for forty days, if anyone dies in this state, he has died an ignorant persons death.

Saaiduna Abdullah ibn Amr Radiallahu Anhu narrates that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said: “Whoever drinks alcohol and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days and if he dies he will go to Hell. But if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he again drinks alcohol and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days and if he dies he will go to Hell. But if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he again drinks alcohol and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days and if he dies he will go to Hell. But if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he commits (this sin) again, then Allah pledges to make him drink the mud of khabaal on the Day of Resurrection.” They asked, “O Prophet of Allah, what is the mud of khabaal?” He said, “The puss of the people of Hell.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Regarding your question, if a person consumed intoxicants, forty days of his Salah will not be accepted. It should be noted here that the meaning Salah not being accepted is that the thawab and reward will not be gained. One is still required to pray. The benefit of praying will be that he will have discharged his duty and will not be punished for not doing it.

However, if a person repents from the sin of consuming intoxicants then Allah (SWA) will accept his repentance and reward him for the Salah as mentioned in Sunan Ibn Majah that the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam said, “The one who repents from sin is like one who did not commit sin.”

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham