What is meant by the negation of acceptance in the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Allah does not accept the prayer of one who drinks intoxicants”?

The questioner : My Shaykh, before you took the phone, my answer had become two hadiths regarding the non-acceptance of the prayer of one who drinks intoxicants.

The Shaykh: Yes.

The questioner : ... they mentioned consensus, but do you believe, my Shaykh, that there is a consensus?

The Shaykh : Is there a consensus? I think you know our view on consensus. There is a consensus that is the path of the believers, meaning that which is known from the religion by necessity; this is the consensus that is a proof and it is not permissible to contradict it. But if it is a theoretical consensus, it may be correct or it may not be correct. However, we always look at what is related to the issue. Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) had a saying with which he confronted his opponents and advised his followers, and I am with him in that: “We do not say a word that we have not been preceded to” and “We do not say a word that we have not been preceded to.” For example, , I told you before to interpret this hadith in the sense of the first hadith, unless you find a preventer. Do you see now? The preventer for us is that we do not know anyone from the scholars of the Salaf who said that the one who drank intoxicants and then prayed while he was conscious and knew what he was saying has an invalid prayer. So if it is established for us that someone said this, we would link this hadith to the first hadith, and by that, I think the answer is complete.

The questioner : But what is meant by the factor leading to non-acceptance?

The Shaykh : This is an easy matter, like , complete acceptance, meaning yes.

The questioner : ... ... .

The Shaykh : Likewise.

The questioner : Forty days from this perspective.

The Shaykh : Likewise, yes.

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh: And you as well, if Allah wills.