of it, it remains an intoxicant. The hadith states:

“Whoever drinks wine will have no prayer accepted from him for forty days. If he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he returns to drinking it, no prayer will be accepted from him for forty days. If he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he returns to drinking it a third or fourth time, it will be incumbent upon Allah to give him Tīnat al-khabāl to drink.” He was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is Tīnat al-khabāl?” He replied, “The bodily discharges of the inhabitants of the Fire.”

Since his prayer is invalid in some circumstances and unaccepted in others, rebuking him is obligatory by the agreement of the Muslims. Whoever fails to rebuke him is disobeying Allah and His Messenger. Whoever prevents him from being rebuked has opposed Allah and His Messenger. In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is reported to have said:

“Whoever intercedes to prevent the enforcement of one of Allah’s prescribed punishments has opposed Allah’s command. Whoever says something untrue about a believer will be confined in the mire of corruption until he frees himself from the consequences of what he has said. Whoever knowingly argues in support of falsehood will remain under Allah’s wrath until he desists.”

Thus, those who argue in his defence are arguing in support of falsehood and are under Allah’s wrath. Those who obstruct such rebuke of him are opposing Allah’s command. Everyone who knows his condition yet fails to rebuke him to the best of his ability is disobeying Allah and His Messenger. And Allah knows best.