Wine, in particular, has been an important theme for centuries—not only in the daily life of many regions, but above all in literature, poetry, and spirituality. The lecture begins by exploring how the Quran addresses alcohol and how the well-known prohibition developed from this. It then presents various examples from premodern Islamic literature: ranging from Persian poems on winemaking to famous advisory texts for rulers and mystical wine poetry.
This reveals that wine was far more than just a beverage in Islamic culture. It could be a luxury item, a social symbol, a literary motif, and a religious metaphor all at once. But what does this say about our understanding of Islam? What conclusions can be drawn from the contradictions and ambiguities surrounding the treatment of wine?
