The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

IMAM ABU AL-FIDA' ISMA?L IBN KATHiR 53
Beware of carrion; do not approach it, and do not take the share of that which some
weapon has already allotted (to others)
And do not venerate raised monuments, nor worship idols, but pray to God alone.
Do not go near a free woman; her privacy is forbidden you; marry or be celibate.
Do not cut off ties with your relatives for some motive, nor take them as captives
under resaaint.
And glorify God at evening and at morning; do not praise the devil; praise only
God. Do not ridicule those suffering poverty, and do not consider wealth man's way
to eternity."'
Ibn Hisham stated, "And when al-A'sha was in Mecca or near thereto, some
Quraysh polytheists stopped him and asked what business he had there. He told
them that he had come seeking the Messenger of God (SAAS).
"One of the Quraysh commented, 'But Abii Ba~ir, he is forbidding sex!'
Al-A'sha responded, swear, that's no desire of mine.'
"'But he's also forbidding wine,' the man objected.
"'Well, that's something I do hold dear; I'll go off and have my fill of it for a
year, then 1'11 come back and accept Islam!'
"And leave he did. But he died that same year without returning to the
Messenger of God (SAAS)."
Thus does Ibn Hisban tell this story here. He extracts a great deal from
Muhammad Ibn Ishaq, God bless him, and this is one thing added to his account
by Ibn Hisham, God bless him!
Wine was not in fact forbidden in Medina until after the fighting with the
Banii al-Nadir, as will be explained hereafter.
It is apparent that the decision of al-A'sha to accept Islam was taken only after
the migration. There is evidence for this in his poetry. One verse reads,
"0 you enquiring where she has gone, she has an appointment with the people of
Yathrih."
It would have been more appropriate for Ibn Hisham to have recounted this
anecdote within material relating to the post-migration period, rather than here.
But God knows best.
Al-Suhayli stated, "This is an error on the part of Ibn Hishan and those who
follow him, for everyone agrees that use of wine was only prohibited in Medina
after the battle of Uhud."
He has also stated, "It is said that the person who spoke to al-A'sha was Aha
Jahl b. Hisham in the house of Wtba b. Rabi'a."
Aba Wbayda, however, related that the one who spoke to him thus was 'Amir
b. al-Tufayl in Qays territory while he was on his way to the Messenger of God
(SAW.
He stated, "And his saying L.. . then I will come to him and accept Islam'
definitely does not bring him out of a state of disbelief. But God knows best."