Is it that one who consumes unlawful earnings will have his supplication entirely unanswered unless he repents, or will it be answered sometimes and rejected sometimes?

The Hadith indicates that whoever consumes unlawful earnings is unlikely to have their prayers answered as long as they persist in doing so. However, the rhetorical interrogative "how" (أنى) does not negate the possibility of a response entirely, for Allah may answer his prayer out of His grace and generosity.