Does one who drinks alcohol remain unclean for a period of 40 days?

Drinking alcohol is a major sin, but the drinker does not become impure for forty days, based on the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "A believer does not become impure." Alcohol is indeed impure and makes the mouth of its drinker impure, requiring him to vomit it out and wash his mouth. The reason for the prevalence of this saying is a misunderstanding of the hadith: "Whoever drinks alcohol, his prayer will not be accepted for forty mornings." The non-acceptance of his prayer is not due to impurity but due to the enormity of his sin, which nullifies his obedience during that period. This does not mean abandoning prayer; rather, he must offer sincere repentance. Some scholars have even held that a person who drinks alcohol must repeat the prayers he performed during the period the alcohol remained in his stomach if he did not vomit it out, despite being able to do so.