Angels Tapping at the Wine-­Shops Door: A History of Alcohol in the Islamic World

Islam is the only major world religion that resists the juggernaut of alcohol consumption. In many Islamic countries, alcohol is banned; in others, it plays little role in social life. Yet, Muslims throughout history did drink, often to excesswhether sultans and shahs in their palaces, or commoners in taverns run by Jews or Christians. This evocative study delves into drinkings many historic, literary and social manifestations in Islam, going beyond references to hypocrisy or the temptations of forbidden fruit. Rudi Matthee argues that alcohol, through its absence as much as its presence, takes us to the heart of Islam. Exploring the long history of this faithfrom the eight-century Umayyad dynasty to Erdoans Turkey, and from Islamic Spain to modern Pakistanhe unearths a tradition of diversity and multiplicity in which Muslims drank, and found myriad excuses to do so. They celebrated wine and used it as a poetic metaphor, even viewing alcohol as a gift from Godthe key to unlocking eternal truth. Drawing on a plethora of sources in multiple languages, Matthee presents Islam not as an austere and uncompromising faith, but as a set of beliefs and practices that embrace ambivalence, allowing for ambiguity and even contradiction. See more