ʿUmar ii and the Prohibition of Ṭilāʾ and Nabīdh

What is it about?

The Umayyad Caliph ʿUmar II (r. 717–20) is said to have sent an edict prohibiting intoxicants other than wine to various provinces of the Muslim empire. He may have been the first Muslim ruler to issue such a prohibition. Until now, his motivations for issuing this prohibition have remained a mystery, but this article contributes toward solving this question. Several medieval writers claim to preserve versions of this prohibitive edict in different works. In this article, the historicity of these versions is examined. It is shown that one version preserves the core of an edict of ʿUmar II, and that the other versions were forged in the decades and centuries following his death. It is argued that following an earthquake ʿUmar II was concerned that a catastrophe might strike the Muslim world if Muslims continue to drink alcohol. On account of this, he was moved to issue a prohibition of intoxicants.

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