Born Sept 1st 1145 in Muslim Valencia Ibn Jubayr is remarkable for the journal he left of his Hajj. Travelling through the islamic world at the time of the 3rd Crusade he encountered a world where lands were changing between Muslim and Christian rule and he wrote of the cordial relations that existed between the common folk while their armies slaughtered each other on the battlefields.
Because he kept an excellent journal Jubayr became a vital source for other writers. When the ageing Ibn Batuta dictated his travels to his scribe the resourceful Ibn Juzayy used Jubayr as a source to fill in colour and detail in Batuta’s account.
Jubayr was secretary to the ruler of Granada. A pious muslim he was forced by his lord to drink seven cups of wine. Afterwards overcome by remorse the ruler filled the seven cups with gold dinars and presented them to Ibn Jubayr. The secretary thus funded was able to afford the passage to Mecca to cleanse the sin of consuming the wine.
I love how Islamic poetry is turgid with verses extolling the ferment of the grape. So common are these poems they have a particular name for them: khamriyyat. I like this stanza from Abu Nuwas the 8th Century Persian poet.
“Don’t cry for Layla, don’t rave about Hind!
But drink among roses a rose-red wine,
a draught that descends in the drinker’s throat,
bestowing its redness on eyes and cheeks.
The wine is a ruby, the glass is a pearl,
served by the hand of a slim-fingered girl,
who serves you the wine from her hand, and wine
from her mouth — doubly drunk, for sure, will you be!”
Mindship 