Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
muslim:1091aʿUbaydullāh b. ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī > Fuḍayl b. Sulaymān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd

" 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).  

مسلم:١٠٩١aحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو حَازِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا سَهْلُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ قَالَ

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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī
muslim:1091bMuḥammad b. Sahl al-Tamīmī And ʾAbū Bakr b. Isḥāq > Ibn Abū Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd

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.  

مسلم:١٠٩١bحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَهْلٍ التَّمِيمِيُّ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ ؓ قَالَ

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  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ بِأَنَّ الْخَيْطَ الْأَبْيَضَ هُوَ الْفَجْرُ الْمُعْتَرِضُ فِي أُفُقِ السَّمَاءِ

ibnhibban:3462Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Khuzaymah > Aḥmad b. Manīʿ > Hushaym > Ḥuṣayn > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAdī b. Ḥātim

"When 'Until the white (light) thread of dawn appears distinct to you from the black thread (of night)' was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ said to me: 'That only refers to the whiteness of the day from the blackness of the night.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2970)   

ابن حبّان:٣٤٦٢أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ أَخْبَرَنَا حُصَيْنٌ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ أَخْبَرَنِي عَدِيُّ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ قَالَ

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ {وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ} قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ بَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ وَسَوَادُ اللَّيْلِ»  

tabarani:5791Yaḥyá b. ʿUthmān > Saʿīd b. Abū Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd

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. (Using translation from Muslim 1091b)  

الطبراني:٥٧٩١حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ ثنا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ أَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ

لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ} وَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ فَكَانَ رِجَالٌ إِذَا أَرَادُوا الصَّوْمَ رَبَطَ أَحَدُهُمْ فِي رِجْلَيْهِ الْخَيْطَ الْأَسْوَدَ وَالْخَيْطَ الْأَبْيَضَ فَلَا يَزَالُ يَأْكُلُ وَيَشْرَبُ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَيُّهُمَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ {مِنَ الْفَجْرِ} فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّمَا يَعْنِي بِذَلِكَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ