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Der Wein im islamischen Paradies und sein Platz in der antiislamischen Polemik des Mittelalters (12. – 15. Jh.)

Abstract

The contrast between Quranic and biblical ideas of paradise was a prominent theme in medieval Christian polemics against Islam. The Christian construction of the spiritual paradise of the Bible as communion with God was contrasted with the material paradise of the Quran where, in the literal sense, not only milk and honey but also wine flow in streams. One of the primary sources Christian authors referred to was the so called Doctrina Mahumet, a Latin translation of a lost Arabic text from the 9th century that tells of a conversation between Muhammad and several Jewish scribes. When talking about paradise in Islam, Muhammad is confronted with the question why the consumption of alcohol should be allowed in paradise while it is prohibited on earth. Muhammad answers this question by telling the story of two drunken angels. This paper provides the first source-critical study of the reception history of this story and its use by Christian authors from the 13th to the 15th century who shorten the story at crucial points, take it further and further from its original context until finally it was no longer discussed in the context of paradise at all, but only as a fairy tale of Muhammad.