If prayers and deeds are not accepted for 40 days after committing grave sins, then what is the point of performing them, and does this contradict His saying, the Almighty: "Say, 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful'"?

The denial of acceptance of worship in the Shariah texts may mean its invalidity and insufficiency, such as prayer without purification, or it may mean that no reward accrues from it despite its validity and the discharge of responsibility, such as the prayer of the soothsayer, the wine-drinker, and the runaway slave.

If the denial of acceptance means invalidity, then the worship must be repeated. However, if it means no reward (which is the more probable meaning in the questioner's query), then the obligation to perform the prayer is not waived, and the performance becomes an act of obedience to Allah's command and a discharge of responsibility. The fact that a person is a wine-drinker does not justify his abandonment of prayer; rather, he must fear Allah and purify himself so that his worship may be accepted, for Allah the Almighty says: (Indeed, Allah accepts only from the righteous [who fear Him]).

The non-acceptance of the wine-drinker's obedience and his deprivation of reward is conditional upon his not repenting. However, if he repents, Allah accepts his repentance, forgives his sin, and accepts his obedience, for the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "The one who repents from a sin is like one who has no sin." Thus, there is no contradiction between the non-acceptance of the wine-drinker's worship and the forgiveness of sins for those who repent.