Dawr al-Adab fi Mukafahat al-Khamr bayn al-Jahiliya wa al-Islam
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- Editions
- Islamic University of Madinah
Dawr al-Adab fi Mukafahat al-Khamr bayn al-Jahiliya wa al-Islam (The Role of Literature in Combating Wine between the Pre-Islamic Era and Islam) is a scholarly treatise by Mahmud Muhammad Salim, a lecturer at the Faculty of Arabic Language at the Islamic University of Madinah, examining the stance of Arabic poetry and prose toward wine consumption across the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras .
Scope and Purpose
The treatise explores the portrayal of wine (khamr) in Arabic literary history. While acknowledging that prominent poets in both ancient and modern times composed verses praising wine and describing tavern culture, the author demonstrates that a substantial counter-tradition exists within Arabic literature that censures wine drinking, exposes its harm to reason, health, and wealth, and depicts the social degradation of drunkards .
Pre-Islamic Stance on Wine
Salim examines the pre-Islamic period (al-Jahiliyya), noting that despite the widespread presence of taverns and wine drinking, intoxication was not viewed as an ideal of noble character or manhood (futuwwa) . He cites verses by poets such as Tarafa ibn al-Abd, who lamented that wine drinking alienated him from his clan until he was cast out like a mangy camel , and Zuhayr ibn Abi Sulma, who praised men whose wealth was consumed by generosity rather than wine . The author also notes that in the biography of Imru al-Qays, indulgence in wine was an attribute of reckless youth that ended upon the murder of his father .
The work documents several pre-Islamic figures who voluntarily prohibited wine to themselves to safeguard their honor and intellect, including Amir ibn al-Zarib, Qays ibn Asim al-Minqari, Safwan ibn Umayya ibn Muharrith al-Kinani, Afif ibn Ma'dikarib, and Abd Allah ibn Jud'an . Salim also analyzes Arabic etymology, noting that a drinking companion was named nadim from nadam (regret), and cites instances where habitual drinkers, such as the poet al-Suradiq al-Duhli, took offense at being called intoxicated .
Islamic Era and Literary Repentance
The author discusses the gradual Quranic prohibition of intoxicants through successive revelations in Surah al-Baqarah, Surah al-Nisa, and Surah al-Ma'idah, alongside the prescribed legal penalties (hudud) implemented during the era of the Prophet ﷺ and the Rightly Guided Caliphs .
The text presents literary records of repentance, most prominently that of Abu Mihjan al-Thaqafi, who was imprisoned for drinking but was temporarily freed during the Battle of al-Qadisiyyah, where he fought heroically on the day of Aghwath before voluntarily returning to his fetters, subsequently renouncing wine entirely in celebrated poems of remorse . Salim also details the incident involving Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl and Dirar ibn al-Azwar in Syria, who were disciplined under the instruction of the Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab . Further literary examples highlight early Muslims who abhorred wine, including Uthman ibn Maz'un and al-Abbas ibn Mirdas al-Sulami .
Satire, Moral Critique, and Legal Enforcement
In the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, accusations of wine drinking became one of the sharpest weapons in satirical poetry (hija'), as demonstrated by Jarir's satires against al-Akhtal and al-Farazdaq, as well as poems by Malik ibn Asma' al-Fazari . The treatise reviews poetic refutations of legal loopholes concerning date and raisin wines (nabidh), citing verses by Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali and Ibn Shubruma .
Salim addresses the Abbasid era, noting that even within literary circles characterized by frivolity, poets such as al-'Utbi continued to condemn wine for stripping men of dignity, causing missed prayers, and creating delusions of false courage . The author concludes that literary engagement alone is insufficient to eradicate intoxicants and narcotics unless accompanied by religious faith and the active enforcement of Islamic law .
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