There are many authentic Hadiths concerning the punishment for one who drinks alcohol which say that his prayers will not be accepted for forty days. The fact that his prayers are not accepted does not mean that they are not valid, or that he should give up praying, rather it means that he will not be rewarded for them.

Mucus and spittle do not break wudu and they are pure. So, it is permissible for you to pray if mucus comes out of your mouth.

If you are reciting the Surah after Al-Fatihah from the beginning, then you should say the Basmalah (Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim) apart from Surah At-Tawbah. If you are reciting from the middle of a Surah, then it is not recommended to recite the Basmalah.

1. The meaning of A’oodhu Billahi min al-Shaytan ir-rajeem is turning to Allah for protection from the evil of every evil one. It is said in order to ward off evil from a person. 2. The majority of scholars say that saying “A’oodhu Billah…” is recommended, not obligatory. 3. The words “A’oodhu Billah…” may be said during prayer and at other times. In prayer it is sufficient to recite them once, in the first rak’ah. This does not have to be said in every rak’ah. For more, please see the detailed answer.

Whoever is unable to pronounce al-Fatihah properly because of some defect in his tongue or because he is not an Arabic-speaker must learn to correct his pronunciation as much as he can. If he cannot, then he is relieved of this obligation.