Coffee, The Power Drink of the Pious
“Coffee is the common man’s gold, and like gold it brings to every person the feeling of luxury and nobility.” (Shaykh Abd al–Kadir, wrote the earliest known manuscript on the history of coffee in 1588) Tarim, Yemen - The sun rose towards its zenith, baking the Hadhramaut Valley below in a scorching 40 ยบ heat . The afternoon was no time to be in the market; still Nu’man hunched over a cart under the blazing sun, running his fingers through a pile of sesame seeds. Humus was his mother’s specialty and she demanded the whitest seeds. Nu’man examined the pile hunting for any discolouration that might disqualify them. Habib, the vendor from Mocha (Yemen) watched the teenager with amusement. He leaned against a pole holding up his stall’s canvas and stroked his beard. Nu’man’s frankincense misbaha (prayer beads) wrapped around his wrist caught Habib’s attention; the beads gave off a sweet scent. He must be a Sufi, thought Habib. “Boy!” he called out to Nu’man, who lifted his head and pe