Hadith Research Libraryمكتبة الحديث والرجال

Chapter 16.0

The Statement of Allah Taa'la: "And eat and drink until the white thread of dawn appears to you distinct from the black."

بَابُ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ}

فِيهِ الْبَرَاءُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.

2 hadiths

Sahih al-Bukhari, 1916sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

5 transmitters

Narrated by Hajjaj bin al-MinhalfromHashaym bin Bashayr bin al-QasimfromHusayn bin 'Abdur Rahman al-Salmifrom'Amir al-Sha'bifrom'Adi ibn Hatim al-Tayyi'

Hadith text · Matn

‏ إِنَّمَا ذَلِكَ سَوَادُ اللَّيْلِ وَبَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ ‏

‏‏.‏

English translation

Narrated `Adi bin Hatim:

When the above verses were revealed: 'Until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread,' I took two (hair) strings, one black and the other white, and kept them under my pillow and went on looking at them throughout the night but could not make anything out of it. So, the next morning I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and told him the whole story. He explained to me, "That verse means the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the dawn."

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حُصَيْنُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ عَدِيِّ بْنِ حَاتِمٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ ‏{‏حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ‏}‏ عَمَدْتُ إِلَى عِقَالٍ أَسْوَدَ وَإِلَى عِقَالٍ أَبْيَضَ، فَجَعَلْتُهُمَا تَحْتَ وِسَادَتِي، فَجَعَلْتُ أَنْظُرُ فِي اللَّيْلِ، فَلاَ يَسْتَبِينُ لِي، فَغَدَوْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ ‏

Sahih al-Bukhari, 1917sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

8 transmitters

Narrated by Sa'id bin Abi Maryamfrom'Abdul 'Aziz bin Abi HazimfromAbu Hazim, Salma bin DinarfromSahl bin Sa'd bin MalikfromSa'id bin Abi MaryamfromMuhammad bin MatraffromAbu Hazim, Salma bin DinarfromSahl bin Sa'd bin Malik

Hadith text · Matn

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، ح‏.‏ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُطَرِّفٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ أُنْزِلَتْ ‏{‏وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ‏}‏ وَلَمْ يَنْزِلْ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ، فَكَانَ رِجَالٌ إِذَا أَرَادُوا الصَّوْمَ رَبَطَ أَحَدُهُمْ فِي رِجْلِهِ الْخَيْطَ الأَبْيَضَ وَالْخَيْطَ الأَسْوَدَ، وَلَمْ يَزَلْ يَأْكُلُ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُ رُؤْيَتُهُمَا، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بَعْدُ ‏{‏مِنَ الْفَجْرِ‏}‏ فَعَلِمُوا أَنَّهُ إِنَّمَا يَعْنِي اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ‏.‏

English translation

Narrated Sahl bin Saud:

When the following verses were revealed: 'Eat and drink until the white thread appears to you, distinct from the black thread' and of dawn was not revealed, some people who intended to fast, tied black and white threads to their legs and went on eating till they differentiated between the two. Allah then revealed the words, 'of dawn', and it became clear that meant night and day.