A man from the Ansar invited him and Abdul-Rahman bin Awf, and served them wine before it was forbidden. Ali then led them in the Maghrib prayer and recited "Say, O disbelievers" [Kafirun 109:1], but he mixed up the words. So the verse was revealed, "Do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated, until you know what you are saying" [Nisa 4:43].
أن رجلا من الأنصار دعاه، وعبد الرحمن بن عوف فسقاهما قبل أن تحرم الخمر، فأمهم علي فيي المغرب، وقرأ {قل يأيها الكفرون} فخلط فيهما فنزلت: {لا تقربوا الصلوة وأنتم سكرى حتى تعلموا ما تقولون}.
Reported by Abu Dawud (3671), Tirmidhi (3026), and Hakim (2/207), all through Ata bin Saaib, from Abu Abdul-Rahman Sulami, from Ali bin Abu Talib, as mentioned. Its chain is sahih. Abu Abdul-Rahman Sulami is well known by his kunya, his actual name being Abdullah bin Habib bin Rabia, a reliable and firmly established narrator. As for Ata bin Saaib, although he did become confused in his later years, this narration comes to us through Sufyan Thawri, who heard from him early on, before his confusion set in. Yahya Qattan, Ahmad, and others have graded Ata bin Saaib's narrations as sahih when transmitted through Sufyan and Shuba, and for this reason Tirmidhi and Hakim graded this hadith sahih.As for what has been reported from Abu Hurairah, who said, wine was forbidden in three stages. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to Madinah while people were drinking wine and gambling with maysir. They asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the two, so Allah revealed to His Prophet ﷺ, "They ask you about wine and gambling. Say, 'In both is great sin, and some benefit for people'" to the end of the verse. The people said, "It has not been forbidden to us, He only said, 'in both is great sin,'" and they continued drinking wine.Then one day, a man from the Muhajireen led his companions in the Maghrib prayer and became confused in his recitation. So Allah revealed regarding this a verse stricter than the first, "O you who believe, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying" [Nisa 4:43]. People continued drinking until one of them would come to the prayer while sober again.Then a verse stricter still was revealed, "O you who believe, wine, gambling, idols, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may succeed" [Maidah 5:90]. They said, "We have stopped, our Lord." Then the people said, "O Messenger of Allah, there were men who were killed fighting in the cause of Allah, and others who died in their beds, who used to drink wine and gamble with maysir, and Allah has declared it defilement from the work of Satan." So Allah revealed, "There is no blame upon those who believe and do righteous deeds for what they have eaten, so long as they are mindful of Allah and believe" [Maidah 5:93] to the end of the verse. Then the Prophet ﷺ said, "Had it been forbidden to them outright, they would have abandoned it just as you have abandoned it."This report is daif. It was reported by Ahmad (8620) from Siraj, meaning Ibn Numan, who said, Abu Mashar narrated to us, from Abu Wahb, the freed slave of Abu Hurairah, from Abu Hurairah, as mentioned. Its chain is daif because of Abu Mashar, who is Najih Sindi, weak by unanimous agreement of the scholars, and also because of his teacher Abu Wahb, who is unknown and unidentified, as stated in Tajil.