Is the prayer of a drunk valid?
13-1-2014 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is it permissible for one who drinks alcohol to pray if he is mindful of what he is saying so that he may not miss the obligation of prayer, acting on the Saying of Allaah The Almighty [Quran 4: 43]? May Allaah The Almighty Reward you.
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Drinking alcohol is one of the grave major sins and huge evildoings. A drinker of alcohol is one who drinks something filthy and sinful. Alcohol is the mother of all evils and sins. It is prohibited by the Quran, the Sunnah and the consensus of scholars. Amongst the threats mentioned in this regard is the Hadeeth in which the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Every intoxicant is prohibited. Allaah Promised that whoever drinks intoxicants, He Will Give him to drink of the mud of khabaal.” They said: “O Messenger of Allaah, what is the mud of khabaal?” He said: “The sweat of the people of Hellfire” or “The juices of the people of Hell.” [Muslim]
As for the prayer of the drunken person, if he performs ablution and does not lose his senses, then it will be valid. This is because Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying.}[Quran 4: 43]
So if he knows well what he is saying, then his prayer is valid.
However, he will not be rewarded for it. This can be proven by the Hadeeth in which the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Whoever drinks alcohol and gets drunk, his prayers will not be accepted for forty days.” [At-Tirmithi; Hasan]