I read the 1001 Nights and was surprised to see so many tales that included drinking alcohol.

I believe these tales were compiled several centuries after the time of Muhammad, and that the prohibition against the use of alcohol dates from the time of Muhammad.

I even remember some of the tales where the pious character states that he doesn't drink alcohol because of Muhammad's prohibition against it (so the storytellers were definitely aware of the prohibition).

Did the Muslim people of the time of the compilation of the 1001 Nights drink alcohol (so the tales reflected the audience), or was drinking in the tales meant as a message to the audience, or some other explanation?