SC - Islamic alchohol?

[Decker, Terry D.]

The prime difference in the political dogma of the Sunni and the Shia is
that the Sunni accept the traditional order of the caliphs who followed
Mohammed, while the Shia hold that the 4th caliph, Ali, represents the true
line of descent of religious authority.

The Sunni are divided by ritual and law into Hanafites, Malikites, Shafites,
and Hanbalites.  These probably represent the four major schools of law
Hattox mentions.  

In general, the Shia are stricter in interpretation than the Sunni.

Bear


> On the subject of alcohol, the most tolerant of the four schools 
> holds that the prohibition applies to wine (i.e. fermented grape 
> juice) and to getting drunk on other things, but not to drinking 
> other things. 
> 
> I think my source for all of this is Hattox's book on the 
> introduction of coffee; he discusses it because there was some 
> dispute as to whether the prohibition applied to coffee.
> 
> Also, there is apparently a tradition according to which the Prophet 
> said that date beer fermented no more than three days was permitted.
> 
> I don't know what the Shia position is.
> 
> So far as recipes are concerned, the nearest thing I know of is the 
> description of how to make arrack (distilled liquor from sugar cane) 
> in the _Ain I Akbari_. I don't know if the Mughals considered arrack 
> permitted, or if it was being made by the Hindus, Jews, or 
> Christians, or what.
> David Friedman
>