Question:
Is it true that if a person consumes anything ḥarām, their ṣalāh and duʿāʾ will not be accepted for forty days?
Answer:
الجـواب حامـدا ومصليـا
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stated:
“Whoever consumes an intoxicant, his ṣalāh will not be accepted for forty days.”
(Reported by al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and others)
In his commentary on this ḥadīth, Imām al-Nawawī explains that acts of worship have two aspects:
- Legal Fulfillment (Isqāṭ al-Qaḍāʾ): The obligation of performing the act of worship is discharged, meaning one is not required to repeat the ṣalāh.
- Spiritual Reward (Thawāb): The individual will not attain the full reward of the action.
Thus, if a person consumes an intoxicant or any ḥarām substance, they are still required to perform ṣalāh within its prescribed time. However, they may be deprived of its reward due to the impurity they have introduced into their body.
The Significance of Mentioning Ṣalāh in the Ḥadīth
Ṣalāh was specifically mentioned in this narration because it is the most important act of worship in Islam. The fact that ṣalāh is not accepted in terms of reward for forty days highlights that other acts of worship, such as duʿāʾ, fasting, and general good deeds, will also be affected. This serves as a severe warning about the consequences of consuming ḥarām substances and emphasizes the importance of purity in worship.
Application Beyond Intoxicants
Although the narration specifically mentions intoxicants, its underlying principle extends to the consumption of any ḥarām substance. This is supported by another ḥadīth in which the Prophet (ﷺ) described a disheveled man raising his hands in supplication to Allah while his food, drink, and clothing were acquired through unlawful means, and thus his duʿāʾ was not accepted.
Al-ʿAllāmah al-Manāwī states that the mention of forty days in the ḥadīth refers to the period during which the intoxicant remains in the body’s system. However, this timeframe does not preclude the possibility of repentance, as sincere tawbah erases sin and restores one’s spiritual standing.
The Role of Tawbah
It is important to note that, while some scholars have stated that the individual may not be granted the ability to perform tawbah during this period, this does not mean repentance is impossible. Rather, it emphasizes the severity of the sin and its consequences. The door of repentance remains open, and Allah is the Most Merciful and Forgiving.
Conclusion
Imām al-Nawawī and the majority of scholars have taken this narration to mean that the rejection of ṣalāh applies in terms of reward, not validity. In other words, one must still perform the ṣalāh, but they will not receive its reward.
Therefore, anyone who has consumed a ḥarām substance should hasten to sincere repentance, seek Allah’s forgiveness, and continue their acts of worship, trusting in His mercy and acceptance.
And Allah knows best.
Issued by: Mawlana Hamoon Masudi
Approved by: Mufti Manzoor Ahmad
References:
- Tuḥfat al-Aḥwadhī Sharḥ al-Tirmidhī
- ʿAwn al-Maʿbūd Sharḥ Sunan Abī Dāwūd
- Minhāj Sharḥ Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
- Ḥāshiyat al-Sindī ʿalā Ibn Mājah
