" Until the white streak of the dawn becomes distinct from the dark streak" (ii. 187) Adi b. Hatim said: Messenger of Allah, verily I keep underneath my pillow two strings, one white and the other black, by which I distinguish night from dawn. Upon this the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Your pillow seems to be very large. For the word khait implies the blackness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn.  

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ { حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ} قَالَ لَهُ عَدِيُّ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَجْعَلُ تَحْتَ وِسَادَتِي عِقَالَيْنِ عِقَالاً أَبْيَضَ وَعِقَالاً أَسْوَدَ أَعْرِفُ اللَّيْلَ مِنَ النَّهَارِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ وِسَادَتَكَ لَعَرِيضٌ إِنَّمَا هُوَ سَوَادُ اللَّيْلِ وَبَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ  

" Eat and drink till the white streak is distinct from the dark streak," a person would take hold of a white thread and a black thread and keep on eating till he could find them distinct (in the light of the dawn). It was then that Allah, the Majestic and Great, reveiled (the words) min al-fajr (from the dawn), and then it became clear (that the word khait refers to the streak of light in the dawn).  

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ} قَالَ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَأْخُذُ خَيْطًا أَبْيَضَ وَخَيْطًا أَسْوَدَ فَيَأْكُلُ حَتَّى يَسْتَبِينَهُمَا حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ { مِنَ الْفَجْرِ} فَبَيَّنَ ذَلِكَ  

When this verse was revealed." Eat and drink till the white streak becomes distinct from the dark streak for you," the person who decided to observe fast tied on one of his feet a black thread and on the other a white thread. And he went on eating and drinking till he could distinguish (between their colour) on seeing them. It was after this that Allah reveal- ed (the words): min al-fajr. And they (the Muslims) came to know that (the word khait) refers to the night and day.  

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ} قَالَ فَكَانَ الرَّجُلُ إِذَا أَرَادَ الصَّوْمَ رَبَطَ أَحَدُهُمْ فِي رِجْلَيْهِ الْخَيْطَ الأَسْوَدَ وَالْخَيْطَ الأَبْيَضَ فَلاَ يَزَالُ يَأْكُلُ وَيَشْرَبُ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ رِئْيُهُمَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ { مِنَ الْفَجْرِ} فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّمَا يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ  

Bilal would pronounce Adhan (at the fag end of the night in order to inform the people about the time of the Sahri). So you eat and drink till you hear the Adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum (which was pro- nounced at the conclusion of the Sahri and the commencement of the fast).  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ بِلاَلاً يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى تَسْمَعُوا تَأْذِينَ ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ  

I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying: Bilal announces Adhan during the night, so you eat and drink, till you hear the Adhan of Ibn Umm Maktum.  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ بِلاَلاً يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى تَسْمَعُوا أَذَانَ ابْنِ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ  

There were to callers of adhan for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Bilal and Ibn Umm Maktum, the blind. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Bilal announces the adhan at night, so eat and drink until Ibn Umm Maktum announces adhan." And he ˹the narrator˺ said: "The ˹period˺ between their ˹adhans˺ was not more than this that one climbing down ˹from the place of adhan˺ and the other one climbing up."  

كَانَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُؤَذِّنَانِ بِلاَلٌ وَابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ الأَعْمَى فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بِلاَلاً يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ فَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يُؤَذِّنَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ قَالَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ بَيْنَهُمَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَنْزِلَ هَذَا وَيَرْقَى هَذَا  

A hadith like this has been transmitted on the authority of 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her).  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ  

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of 'Ubaidullah on the two chains of transmitters.  

عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بِالإِسْنَادَيْنِ كِلَيْهِمَا نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ ابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ  

The dawn is not like it, as one says (and he lifted his hand) till he (dispersed his fingers) and said: It is like this.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَمْنَعَنَّ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ أَذَانُ بِلاَلٍ أَوْ قَالَ نِدَاءُ بِلاَلٍ مِنْ سَحُورِهِ فَإِنَّهُ يُؤَذِّنُ أَوْ قَالَ يُنَادِي بِلَيْلٍ لِيَرْجِعَ قَائِمَكُمْ وَيُوقِظَ نَائِمَكُمْ وَقَالَ لَيْسَ أَنْ يَقُولَ هَكَذَا وَهَكَذَا وَصَوَّبَ يَدَهُ وَرَفَعَهَا حَتَّى يَقُولَ هَكَذَا وَفَرَّجَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْهِ  

The dawn is not like it as it is said; he then gathered his fingers and lowered them. But he said, it is like this (and he placed the index finger upon the other one and spread his hand).  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ الْفَجْرَ لَيْسَ الَّذِي يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَجَمَعَ أَصَابِعَهُ ثُمَّ نَكَسَهَا إِلَى الأَرْضِ وَلَكِنِ الَّذِي يَقُولُ هَكَذَا وَوَضَعَ الْمُسَبِّحَةَ عَلَى الْمُسَبِّحَةِ وَمَدَّ يَدَيْهِ  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman Taimi with the same chain of transmitters and, at the end, it was said that the first Adhan was meant to awaken those who were in slumber amongst them and in order to make them turn who stand in (prayer) among them (towards food at the commencement of the fast). Jarir (one of the narrators) said that the Messenger ﷺ did not say like this but he said like it (true dawn) that the streaks of (true dawn ) are horizontal and not vertical.  

عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَانْتَهَى حَدِيثُ الْمُعْتَمِرِ عِنْدَ قَوْلِهِ يُنَبِّهُ نَائِمَكُمْ وَيَرْجِعُ قَائِمَكُمْ وَقَالَ إِسْحَاقُ قَالَ جَرِيرٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَلَيْسَ أَنْ يَقُولَ هَكَذَا وَلَكِنْ يَقُولُ هَكَذَا يَعْنِي الْفَجْرَ هُوَ الْمُعْتَرِضُ وَلَيْسَ بِالْمُسْتَطِيلِ  

Samura b. Jandub reported Muhammad ﷺ as saying. The call of Bilal may not mislead any one of you (and he may, under the wrong impression gathered from it, refrain) from taking meal before the commencement of the fast (for the streaks) of this whiteness (which are vertical indicate the false dawn and the true dawn with which the fast commences is that when the streaks of light are) spread.  

سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدًا ﷺ يَقُولُ  

The Adhan of Bilal should not mislead you nor the whiteness (of the pillar) of dawn, for it is not the whiteness of the true dawn, but that of the false dawn which is vertical like a pillar and you can eat food till the streaks of whiteness spread like it.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ أَذَانُ بِلاَلٍ وَلاَ هَذَا الْبَيَاضُ لِعَمُودِ الصُّبْحِ حَتَّى يَسْتَطِيرَ هَكَذَا  

The Adhan of Bilal may not mislead you with regard to your food at the commencement of the fast, nor the vertical (streaks) of whiteness in the horizon (for it is an indication of false dawn). You should stop eating (food) till (the whiteness) spreads like it. Hammad narrated it and with the gesture of his band he explained, the horizontal position (of the streaks of light).  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ مِنْ سَحُورِكُمْ أَذَانُ بِلاَلٍ وَلاَ بَيَاضُ الأُفُقِ الْمُسْتَطِيلُ هَكَذَا حَتَّى يَسْتَطِيرَ هَكَذَا وَحَكَاهُ حَمَّادٌ بِيَدَيْهِ قَالَ يَعْنِي مُعْتَرِضًا  

Neither the call of Bilal should mislead you nor this whiteness (of false dawn) till (the true) dawn appears (or he said) till the dawn breaks.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكُمْ نِدَاءُ بِلاَلٍ وَلاَ هَذَا الْبَيَاضُ حَتَّى يَبْدُوَ الْفَجْرُ أَوْ قَالَ حَتَّى يَنْفَجِرَ الْفَجْرُ  

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Samura b. Jundub.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ هَذَا