Mysticism

Can Sufis drink alcohol?

Mainstream Sufism follows Islamic law, which prohibits alcohol. Sufi poetry's wine imagery is metaphor for divine love, though a few marginal groups differed.

On this page
  1. The short answer
  2. Wine as metaphor in Sufi poetry
  3. Islamic law and Sufi orders
  4. Antinomian and marginal groups
  5. Why the confusion persists

The short answer

In general, no. Mainstream Sufism operates within Islam, and the dominant Islamic legal position prohibits drinking alcohol. Most Sufis, like most Muslims, have followed that rule. The wine that appears in Sufi poetry is usually understood as a symbol, not an endorsement of drinking.

Wine as metaphor in Sufi poetry

Persian and Arabic mystical poetry is full of wine, taverns, cupbearers and drunkenness. Poets such as Hafez used these images, and later readers commonly interpreted them as pointing to divine love and the intoxication of closeness to God. The tavern may stand for a place of spiritual surrender, the cupbearer for a teacher, and wine for the experience of love or knowledge of God.

How literal any given poem was meant to be is sometimes debated, since poetry can also be playful or critical of hypocrisy. But the mystical reading has been standard within the tradition. For one poet’s use of such imagery, see Rumi’s mystical teachings.

Islamic law and Sufi orders

The Quran discourages intoxicants, and the major schools of Islamic law prohibit alcohol. Established Sufi orders have generally been committed to following the law (sharia) as the base of the spiritual path, treating it as the outer side that goes together with the inner; see Sufism and esoteric Islam. Many teachers warned that claims of spiritual rank do not excuse breaking the law.

Antinomian and marginal groups

History includes wandering groups, sometimes called Qalandars, and other movements that rejected conventional norms. Some accounts say that certain members drank alcohol or used other substances. Information about these groups is often second-hand, polemical or contested, and they were frequently criticized by other Sufis. Treat sweeping statements with caution; they do not represent the main body of Sufi practice.

Why the confusion persists

Because wine imagery is so vivid in poetry, readers sometimes assume it is literal. Also, popular depictions of Sufism, such as the whirling dervishes, can suggest ecstatic or “intoxicated” states, which in the tradition are attributed to love and remembrance of God, not to alcohol. For a wider look at the issue of inner and outer, see what mysticism is.

If you want a ruling for your own situation, consult a qualified scholar in your tradition.

The complete guide to mysticism

What Is Mysticism? Meaning, Characteristics and Forms
Read the guide

Keep exploring

Guides from other topics

All topics →