Is it true that a person who drinks alcohol cannot fast for 40 days?

Drinking alcohol is considered haram and a major sin in our religion. Allah the Almighty says in the Qur'an:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالأَنْصَابُ وَالأَزْلامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

“O you who believe! Indeed, wine, gambling, idols, and divining arrows are abominations of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid them so that you may be successful.” [1]

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

من شَرِبَ الخمرَ ؛ لم يَقْبَلِ اللهُ له صلاةً أربعين صباحًا

“Whoever drinks alcohol, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty mornings.” [2]

Another hadith states: “Whoever drinks alcohol, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty days. If he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks again, Allah will not accept his prayer for another forty days. If he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks again, Allah will not accept his prayer for another forty days. If he repents, his repentance will be accepted. But if he drinks a fourth time, Allah will not accept his prayer for forty days, and if he repents, Allah will not accept his repentance and will make him drink from the river ‘habal’ (the pus of the people of Hell).” [3]

Imam Nawawi explained that “his prayer will not be accepted” means that the obligation is fulfilled, but the reward is lost [4].

Thus, the loss of reward for prayer depends on whether the person repents and gives up drinking. If he sincerely repents, this punishment (the loss of reward) is lifted, because sincere repentance erases previous sins.

Therefore, if someone drinks alcohol two days before Ramadan and then sincerely repents, Allah will accept his repentance. His fast will be like that of someone who did not drink alcohol. If he continues to drink while fasting, his fast is still valid, but he will not receive its reward and will bear the sin of drinking alcohol.

From the book “Fatwas on Ramadan Fasting”

• [1] Surah al-Ma’idah, 90

• [2] Tirmidhi, No. 1862.

• [3] Tirmidhi, No. 1862. Hasan hadith.

• [4] Sharh Muslim, 14/227.