Coffee is today synonymous with modern lifestyle, productivity, and\nglobal work culture. Yet behind every cup of coffee consumed by billions\ndaily lies a long history connecting the Islamic world, global trade,\nand the transformation of how humanity works.<\/p>\n
According to Superluminal, coffee was first introduced to the Islamic\nworld by the Shadhiliyya order in South Arabia during the 13th to 15th\ncenturies. A shaikh from this order is believed to have discovered\ncoffee in Ethiopia, known as bun, before bringing it to Yemen and\nintroducing its benefits as a sleep suppressant.<\/p>\n
To this day, this figure is venerated as the patron of coffee farmers\nand drinkers. In some regions such as Algeria, coffee is still called\nshadhiliyya as a form of honouring this heritage.<\/p>\n
Initially for Worship, Then Spreading to Social Life<\/p>\n
According to the Folger Shakespeare Library, coffee as a hot beverage\nbegan to be widely used by Sufi communities in Yemen in the 15th\ncentury. They drank coffee to help them stay awake during zikr rituals\nand meditation throughout the night.<\/p>\n
Coffee consumption then spread to the general population, even\nappearing in the vicinity of the Masjid al-Haram and becoming part of\nvarious religious rituals such as dhikr and mawlid. In Arabic, qahwa or\ncoffee previously referred to wine, which led Europeans to call coffee\nthe \u201cWine of Islam.\u201d<\/p>\n
The development of coffee bean roasting techniques that are now the\nglobal standard also emerged during this phase, including refinement by\nPersian communities, marking coffee\u2019s transformation from a religious\nritual to part of broader social life.<\/p>\n
In coffeehouses, artists, merchants, poets, and officials met in a\nsingle space that was previously unavailable within traditional social\nstructures. Activities such as discussion, games, music, and poetry\nrecitations became part of daily life.<\/p>\n
Egyptian ruler Ahmet Pasha utilised coffeehouses as a public service\nfacility to boost his political popularity. In Istanbul, the first\ncoffeehouse established by two Syrian entrepreneurs also expanded\nrapidly in economic terms.<\/p>\n
Prohibition and Scientific Debate over Coffee<\/p>\n
At that time, some parties attempted to ban coffee on the grounds\nthat it was considered intoxicating and encouraged deviant behaviour.\nCoffeehouses were even accused of being centres of social rebellion and\ncompetitors to mosques as gathering spaces. Sultan Murat IV once ordered\nthe closure of all coffeehouses in Istanbul.<\/p>\n
In the 16th century, some Orthodox scholars equated coffee with\nprohibited substances such as alcohol and cannabis.<\/p>\n
However, this prohibition did not last long. Coffee supporters,\nincluding doctors and legal experts, argued that coffee was not\nmentioned in the Qur\u2019an and had effects opposite to alcohol. Coffee\nincreases alertness rather than causing intoxication.<\/p>\n
Coffee Enters Europe<\/p>\n
Coffee trade initially centred on the Red Sea region, with the port\nof Mocha in Yemen as the main distribution hub receiving supplies from\nEthiopia. From this network, coffee spread widely throughout the Islamic\nworld before eventually catching the attention of European nations.<\/p>\n
Entering the 17th century, European trading companies began to enter\nthis trade route. Britain and the Netherlands gradually took over\ndistribution, then in the 18th century began cultivating coffee in their\ncolonial territories such as Indonesia, South India, Sri Lanka, and the\nCaribbean.<\/p>\n
Coffee itself began to enter Europe through port cities such as\nVenice in 1615, followed by Marseille in 1644 and London in 1651.\nHowever, this beverage only became truly popular among the elite in\n1669, when it was introduced in Paris by Ottoman ambassador Suleyman\nMustapha Koca, which subsequently became the starting point for coffee\u2019s\nexpansion as a global commodity.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/how-the-islamic-world-discovered-coffee-and-conquered-the-world-1773766399", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }