Wine and Bctr in the Daily Lik' aiul Religion of the Ancient Orientals^ 15c 



tuary, and in the luireni tliat contradiction of tlie house." Pal- 

 grave really ascribed to the prophet greater wisdom and insight 

 than he actuall)' possessed. Historical evidences also wotikl 

 point to another direction. Since the law falls within the time, 

 when Muhammed was engaged in a warfare of extermination 

 of the Jews, i. e., in the fourth year of the Iledjra, during the 

 canipaigne against the Jewish tribe Nadir, it is probable to 

 suppose that this law was primarily directed against the Jews, 

 in order to undermine their flourishing wine-trade in Arabia'. 

 During the earliest period of the new religion prohibiti(~)n was 

 strictly observed, although it was not always easy to enforce 

 the law on unwilling Arabs. In Mas'udi, MurCig edhdhahab 

 VI, 153'^ it is said of the tribe Garm: "They did not drink it, 

 when it was permitted, and did not raise its price on the 

 market-day, but since the prohibition of wine has come from 

 heaven, behold no Garmi is sober anymore". 



Under the Omaiyades a tolerant attitude was taken towards 

 the wine-prohibition 3, but the 'Abbasides introduced a stricter 

 enforcement of the law. Transgressors were threatened with 

 severe punishments, which, however, had not always the de- 

 sired effect. Already Omar II. was forced to issue a special 

 order prohibiting the use of fermented wine, but allowing the 

 use of Dia zebib and date-wines. In South-Arabia the muslims 

 continued to drink the ;///,sr-beer as well as their national 

 beverage of honey-wine {bit also called madi). The lower 

 classes in the Irak continued to drink date-wine, and sakar, 



i) This view was first expounded by Georg Jacob, Stud, in arab. JJich- 

 lern, Heft III, p. 106, 



2) Cited after Jacob, o. c, p. 107. 



3) At the court of the Omayyades in Damascus wine-drinkinj^ was intro- 

 duced by YazidI, , of whom it is said that he intoxicated himself daily and 

 that he hardly ever was sober. Abdalmalik drank wine once every month 

 emptying his stomach by means of emetics, in order to be well again next 

 morning. His son Wulid I. drank wine every second day. Walid II. spent 

 most of his time in the circle of musicians, singers and his drinking-comi)a- 

 nions. When in no a. H. his uncle Hisham appointed him leader of the 

 pilgrim-caravan to Mecca, he entered Mecca with great pomp and even desired 

 to have his tent erected on the roof of the Kaaba, in order to carouse therein 

 with his drinking-companions. 



