SC - Islamic alchohol?

[david friedman]

At 11:25 AM -0800 2/28/00, lilinah at earthlink.net wrote:

>Rules are rules and actual behaviors and practices are often something else.

Of course. There are lots of period anecdotes about wine drinking by 
Muslims, including by the Caliph.

A certain holy man saw a barge on the river Euphrates, laden with 
great clay jugs, and asked of a bystander what they were. He was 
informed that they were jugs of wine, destined for the palace of the 
Prince of the Muslims. So the holy man picked up a barge pole and 
smashed the jugs, all save one that he missed.

He was seized and taken before the Prince of the Muslims, the Caliph 
Mutadid (May Allah be content with him) for judgement.

"And who is it that has made thee inspector of the marketplace?" 
Asked the Prince of the Muslims.

"He who has made thee Prince of the Muslims," responded the holy man.

And the Caliph Mutadid (May Allah be content with him) was abashed, 
and ordered that the holy man be released.

David Friedman
Professor of Law
Santa Clara University
ddfr at best.com
http://www.best.com/~ddfr/