What Is Dawn, When Does It Come and When Is It Unlawful to Eat?

أَذَّنَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ لِصَلَاةِ الْغَدَاةِ[1] وَ مَرَّ رَجُلٌ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ هُوَ يَتَسَحَّرُ فَدَعَاهُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ أَذَّنَ الْمُؤَذِّنُ لِلْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذَا ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ وَ هُوَ يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ فَإِذَا أَذَّنَ بِلَالٌ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَمْسِكْ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that ibn ‘Umm Maktum once said Adhan for the morning Salat (prayer) and a man passed by the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, who was eating. He (the Messenger of Allah) invited the man to eat Suhur (break

الْفَجْرُ هُوَ الَّذِي إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُ مُعْتَرِضاً كَأَنَّهُ بَيَاضُ سُورَى‌[3].

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Dawn is when you see it, widthwise, like the whiteness of the suray (canal) (Euphrates river).”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ‌ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ فَقَالَ بَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ مِنْ سَوَادِ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ وَ كَانَ بِلَالٌ يُؤَذِّنُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ص وَ ابْنُ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ وَ كَانَ أَعْمَى يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَيْلٍ وَ يُؤَذِّنُ بِلَالٌ حِينَ يَطْلُعُ الْفَجْرُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ صَوْتَ بِلَالٍ فَدَعُوا الطَّعَامَ وَ الشَّرَابَ فَقَدْ أَصْبَحْتُمْ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of ‘The white twine from the black twine.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘It is the whiteness of the day out of the blackness of the night.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Bilal and ibn ‘Umm Maktum would say Adhan for the Holy prophet. Ibn ‘Umm Maktum was blind and would say Adhan in the

نَزَلَتْ‌ فِي خَوَّاتِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِ‌[1] وَ كَانَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ص فِي الْخَنْدَقِ وَ هُوَ صَائِمٌ فَأَمْسَى وَ هُوَ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ وَ كَانُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْزِلَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ إِذَا نَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ حُرِّمَ عَلَيْهِ الطَّعَامُ وَ الشَّرَابُ فَجَاءَ خَوَّاتٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ حِينَ أَمْسَى فَقَالَ هَلْ عِنْدَكُمْ طَعَامٌ فَقَالُوا لَا لَا تَنَمْ حَتَّى نُصْلِحَ لَكَ طَعَاماً فَاتَّكَأَ فَنَامَ

“This is about the words of Allah, most High, ‘It is lawful for you to have carnal relation with your wives during the night of the fast. . . .’ (2:187) One of the two Imam, (abu Ja’far or abu ‘Abd Allah), ‘Alayhim al-Salam, has said that it was revealed about the case of Khawwat ibn Jubayr al-Ansariy. He was with the

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ مَتَى يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ وَ الشَّرَابُ عَلَى الصَّائِمِ وَ تَحِلُّ الصَّلَاةُ صَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ إِذَا اعْتَرَضَ الْفَجْرُ وَ كَانَ كَالْقُبْطِيَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ[3] فَثَمَّ يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ وَ يَحِلُّ الصِّيَامُ وَ تَحِلُّ الصَّلَاةُ صَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ قُلْتُ فَلَسْنَا فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَطْلُعَ شُعَاعُ الشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ هَيْهَاتَ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ ا

‘When dawn appears which looks like white Coptic fabrics, then eating and drinking become unlawful for a fasting person and performing the morning Salat (prayer) becomes lawful.’ I then said, ‘So we do not have time until sunrise.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘That is not it at all. Where are you going? That is the time for Sa