Abdullah bin Dailami said: I entered the garden of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) in Ta’if, which was called «وهط». I saw that he was walking, holding the hand of a young man from the Quraysh, about whom people suspected that he drank alcohol. I said: I have come to know some things that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), that he (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever drinks a sip of alcohol, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days.” When that young man heard the mention of alcohol, he pulled his hand away from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) and ran away. Then Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Allah! I do not permit anyone to attribute to me something I have not said. Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever drinks a sip of alcohol, his prayer will not be accepted for forty days. Then if he sincerely repents, Allah the Exalted will accept his repentance.” I do not remember whether he said the third or fourth time that: It will be incumbent upon Allah to make him drink «روغة الخبال» on the Day of Resurrection.
Hadith Referenceسنن دارمي / من كتاب الاشربة / 2128
Hadith Gradingتحقیق (حسین سلیم أسد الدارانی):إسناده صحيح إذا كان ربيعة بن زيد سمعه من عبد الله بن الدليمي قال المزي: " بينهما أبو إدريس الخولاني "، [مكتبه الشامله نمبر: 2136]
The meaning of «رَدْغَةِالْخَبَالِ» in the narration of Ibn Majah is: It was asked, “O Messenger of Allah! What is «ردغة الخبال»?” He replied: The pus and blood of the inhabitants of Hell (may Allah protect us and you from it). In this narration, there is also the addition that whoever drinks alcohol and does not repent, and dies in that state, will enter Hell.
From this hadith, the prohibition of alcohol is established because there is a severe warning of punishment for it.
And it is also understood that if someone drinks alcohol and repents, his repentance will be accepted up to three times. Then, if he drinks alcohol again and repents, his repentance will not be accepted and he will certainly be subjected to punishment.
Some scholars have said: This ruling is only a threat and warning for the habitual drinker, that if he drinks for the fourth time and then repents, his repentance will not be accepted. Because from other ahadith it is established that even if a servant commits a sin seventy times and then repents, his repentance will be accepted. This restriction and limitation for the drinker is so that people may avoid it and not commit this major sin.
(And Allah knows best what is correct, summarized from the commentary of Wahidi.)