The Drunkard Caliph
Bahlool once arrived at Haroon's palace to find him drinking wine. Haroon wanted to cover up his vice hence he put this question to him: "Is it haram if one were to eat grapes?"
"Certainly not." Replied Bahlool. "How is it if one were to drink water after eating grapes?" asked Haroon. "Nothing wrong in it" replied Bahlool. "Is there anything wrong if after eating grapes and drinking water, one were to sit in the sun?" further question by Haroon.
"Not at all" replied Bahlobl.
Bahlool understood what the drinking Caliph was driving at. After pausing for a while, Bahlool put forward to Haroon the following questions: "If a little earth were to be put over someone's head, what harm would it cause to him."
"No harm" replied Haroon. "If then a little water were to be added to that earth?" asked Bahlool. "No harm also" replied Haroon.
"If bricks were to be made by mixing earth and water and thence strike his head with it, what would happen?" Bahlool asked this question.
"His head would burst open and blood come out" replied Haroon. Bahlool thereafter argued that just as earth and water mixed together could cause severe harm to one's head,
Similarly water and grapes (grape juice) when converted into the form of wine would cause much harm and misery to man. Hence drinking wine in the Islamic Sharia is prohibited. The following hadith of the Prophet of Islam on the harm of wine drinking is worth noting:
"Alcohol is a collection of sins" Obviously one is likely to commit any sort of sin when in senseless condition under the influence of drinks. The ghastly crimes committed today under the intoxication of alcohol need no enumeration.
Taken from the book “The Moral Stories (Part 2)”
Author: Ahmed .H. Sheriff
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The Uncontrollable Flies
