Although the religion of Islam forbids its followers to imbibe alcohol, the substance is common in Cairo in the early part of the 20th century, and several key characters, including al-Sayyid Ahmad, partake of it freely despite their outward shows of piety. As such, alcohol becomes a symbol of what is permitted and of who grants the permission. The key example of this is al-Sayyid Ahmad himself, for within his household, he demands that every member of his family adhere to Islamic law. However, he does not follow his own rules. The presence of alcohol in al-Sayyid Ahmad’s life therefore symbolizes the difference between his expectations of others and the choices he makes for himself. He drinks every night, and there is rarely an evening where he does not stumble home drunkenly, and alcohol therefore also becomes a constant symbol of his hypocrisy.

Because Yasin shares his father’s love of alcohol, this shared immoral indulgence becomes a unifying flaw. He appreciates his father’s hypocrisy, believing that it binds them together. Their shared love of alcohol is, for Yasin, one of the few characteristics that he has in common with his father, and for the first time, he feels like al-Sayyid Ahmad’s son.