Some religions regulate various aspects of the daily life of their followers in great detail. The rules contained in the holy books sometimes find common sense explanations, and sometimes they seem more like a coincidence. And how was it with Muslims and their attitude towards alcohol? Why does Islam prohibit drinking?
The Koran presents paradise literally as a land flowing with milk and honey. But not only. Sura (chapter) XLVII also promises the saved "rivulets of wine - delight for the drinkers." As if that were not enough, the rest of the holy book of Allah's followers add to it "flasks of fine wine sealed with musk."
The paradox of this performance is that in the temporal life of Muslims this heavenly reward is defined quite differently. Wine, and with it all alcohol and intoxicants, are on the list of what is forbidden - haram. It seems that what befits a saint is unthinkable for ordinary sinners. The question is why?
Damnation… but not right away
Interestingly, the issue of alcohol consumption is not treated uniformly in the Koran. As Islamic scholars Kecia Ali and Oliver Leaman write, “Alcohol is a famous example of progressive revelation; three verses (2:219, 4:43, 5:90-91) discuss intoxication in an increasingly restrictive manner, and the later ones are usually found to abolish the earlier ones.
Indeed, the following paragraphs on alcohol drinks and other stimulants sound more and more harsh. The former admonish only not to pray while drunk. The "stunning" wine liquor is mentioned among God's gifts. Later, however, the Prophet's words begin to sound condemning, and drinking and gambling are counted among the things of which "sin is greater than the benefit." Finally, there is even talk of "the abomination that comes from the work of Satan."
The laws regarding the consumption of alcohol by Muslims are not uniform in the holy book of Islam. The photo shows the Koran at the Museum of Natural History in New York.
The real attack on mood enhancers, however, comes from the Hadiths, or parables about the statements and deeds of Muhammad. As reminded in the book " A Brief History of Drunkenness ”Mark Forsyth:
Almost all hadiths are against wine. They even forbid it for treatment and for making vinegar. The hadith mentions the classic penalty of eighty lashes for drunkenness and additional prohibitions that give the impression that people are already looking for a way around the ban .
(Sheep's) bone of contention
How to explain this gradual radicalization? One theory is that restricting alcohol consumption, especially in prayer, was directed against pre-Muslim religious customs. Its supporter is, among others, the historian of Islam, Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes. He writes:
It is possible that Muhammad wished to act against drunkenness in general in order to put an end to distortions in worship or social relations. It should be remembered, however, that a fortune-teller or sorcerer was subjected to the influence of a genie or a god by the state of holy drunkenness. Muhammad thus condemns the idolatrous mores.
If, however, the Prophet really only wanted to protect the new religion from past influences, a complete ban on stimulants seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. Therefore, the hypothesis that the matter was decided by social and economic reasons is more probable. Kecia Ali and Oliver Leaman are moving in this direction, stressing that the harsh punishment for drinking was justified by the analogy with slander. " People say stupid things when they're drunk ”- they add. I don't think you need to convince anyone that you are more efficient and effective in doing business when sober.
It is also possible that the condemnation of all alcoholic beverages was ... the result of a scandalous argument that Muhammad himself witnessed. This is how Mark Forsyth describes the incident in A Brief History of Drunkenness ":
(...) then, according to tradition, a fight broke out among the followers of Muhammad, caused by drunkenness (one guest threw a sheep bone at the other), and the prophet thought again and he talked a second time (…).
The result of these considerations was, of course, the verdict that drinking, like gambling and fortune-telling, was after all "Satan's work." And also a few verses that most Muslims consider decisive. Of course, as in the case of Christians and the Ten Commandments, the observance of the principles contained in them has been and is very different.
Babur was the founder of the Mughal state. In his memoirs, in addition to tips on governance, he often described his drunken excesses.
Even Babur, a sixteenth-century Shiite ruler and founder of the Mughal Empire, described in a journal how he drank "just the two" of a pitcher of wine. The fun that began in this way continued until the prayers for bedtime. So a good example for the subjects came straight from the top…
Regardless of these worldly efforts of all amateurs of stimulants, including Babur, one thing is certain. Neither of them will in the end drink more than ... a good Muslim. Because, as Mark Forsyth points out, although he holds back in life, he later makes up for the shortcomings for all eternity.
Bibliography:
- Kecia Ali, Oliver Leaman, The Key Concepts , Routledge 2007.
- Mark Forsyth, A Brief History of Drunkenness , Dolnośląskie Publishing House 2018.
- Maurice Gaudefroy-Demombynes, The Birth of Islam , PIW 1988.
Have a quick history of drunkenness:
