#1098: On Praying Behind An Imam Who Took Alcohol Some Days Before
Assallam alaykum wa rahmatullah wabarakaatuhu. Pls will the solat of one who prayed behind an Imam who had taken alcohol the previous day or some days before be accepted?
ANSWER:
Wa Alaykum Salam Warahmatullah Wabarakaatuh
Alhamdulillah.
It is confirmed and reported Authentic from more than one of the Sahaabahs that one of the punishments of the one who consumes alcohol is that his Salaah is not accepted for 40 days.
Of this is the Hadith that was recorded by Imam Ibn Maajah rahimahullah ‘Abdullah bn’ Amr bn Al-‘Aas that the Rasul salallahu alayhi wasallam said:
مَنْ شَرِبَ الْخَمْرَ وَسَكِرَ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا وَإِنْ مَاتَ دَخَلَ النَّارَ ، فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ عَادَ فَشَرِبَ فَسَكِرَ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا ، فَإِنْ مَاتَ دَخَلَ النَّارَ ، فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَإِنْ عَادَ فَشَرِبَ فَسَكِرَ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاةٌ أَرْبَعِينَ صَبَاحًا ، فَإِنْ مَاتَ دَخَلَ النَّارَ ، فَإِنْ تَابَ تَابَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ ، وَإِنْ عَادَ كَانَ حَقًّا عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يَسْقِيَهُ مِنْ رَدَغَةِ الْخَبَالِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ . قَالُوا : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، وَمَا رَدَغَةُ الْخَبَالِ ؟ قَالَ : عُصَارَةُ أَهْلِ النَّارِ
“Whoever drinks Wine and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks wine again and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he drinks wine again and gets drunk, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days, and if he dies he will enter Hell, but if he repents Allah will accept his repentance. But if he does it again, then Allah will most certainly make him drink of the mire of the puss or sweat on the Day of Resurrection.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the mire of the pus or sweat? He said: “The drippings of the people of Hell.”
This Hadith was graded Sahih by the Muhaddith Shaykh Muhammad Nasiruddin Al-Albaani rahimahullah in the Sahihaah.
But the meaning of non-acceptance as the Ulamaa have mentioned is the accrual of Rewards for the Salaah observed. In other words, his Salaah is sound and he has observed the Salaah and carried out what was obligated on him. However, he loses his reward on account of his deed of alcohol consumption.
Imaam An-Nawawi in his Commentary on this in the Majmuu’u said:
“As for the non acceptance of his Salaah, the meaning of it is that there is no reward accrued for him even though this takes off him the obligation of the Salaah and there is no need for a repetition”
That being the case, the Fuqahaa are in agreement that whosoever has his Salaah sound for himself, the Salaah of all those who pray behind him is also sound.
The Precept says:
كل من صحت صلاته لنفسه صحت لغيره أي إمامته
“Whomsoever his Salaah is sound and valid for himself, the Salaah of all those who pray behind him is also sound and valid”
This Precept was mentioned by Az-Zarkashi in Al-Bahru Al-Muheet and As-San’aani in Subulu As-Salaam
What we imply here is that there is nothing wrong with your Salaah because you have prayed behind an Imaam who consumed alcohol some days back.
And Allah knows best.
Barakallahu fikum
📚 IslāmNode
