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him about the days and the stories of the Arabs.’” [1] He gave to his companions glasses full of
wine,[2] and so did they. Reeq narrated, saying: “I was before al‐Rashid; and his brother al‐
Mansur was with him. They were drinking. A salve girl called Khelub came in to them. The slave
girl was carrying two glasses full of wine. There was along with her a boy carrying a lute. She sang
them a song while the two glasses were in her hands. Her singing was:
May Allah greet you, my bosom friends, whether I was died or alive!
If I say something good, then it is good to you. If I say error, then it is error.
So they drank the wine and opened the letter. They found in it: ‘My two masters, your sister
composed this poem today and dictated it to the slave girls. After I had had breakfast, I sent it to
you. I have sent you some of my drink, my greetings, and the most skillful one of my slave girls,[3]
that she may sing you a song.” His sons followed that. Al‐Amin never gave up drinking wine. So his
minister al‐Fedl b. al‐Rabi‘ described him, saying: “His glass occupied him and his cup busied him.
He went on his amusement, and the days went on destroying him. He drank out of glasses laid
with jewels.”[4] During his first days, al‐Ma’mun drank on Tuesday and Friday. Then he became
addicted to wine from his going to al‐Sham (Syria) to his death.[5]
When the people came to know that their king Harun became addicted to drinking wine, they also
became addicted to it. Wine spread among most circles and included those poor whose houses
were not void of it. The poets wonderfully described it, to the extent that Abu Nu’as sanctified it
through his poetry, saying:
Praise wine through its boons, and call it by its best names!
Dr. Taha Husayn commented on this poetry line, saying: “Is the first hemistich of it not
glorification of wine? Is the second hemistich of it not sanctification of wine? Is this poetry line,
though simple and innocent, not of the words of the greatest kinds of dissoluteness? Does it not
contain mockery and sarcasm at the religion? Does the Qur’an not remind you? Do these words of
Him, the Exalted, not remind you: And Allah’s are the best names; therefore call on Him
thereby?[6] ”[7] Abu Nu’as
[1] Abu al‐Farajj al‐Asfahani, al‐Aghani, vol. 5, pp. 126‐127.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid., vol. 9, pp. 170‐171.
[4] Tabari, Tarikh, vol. 10, p. 215.
[5] Al‐Tajj, p. 153.
[5] Qur'an, 7, 180.
[7] Hadith al‐Arbi'a', vol. 2, p. 109.
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