Chapter on the Time When Eating and Drinking Become Forbidden for the Fasting Person and the Morning Prayer Becomes Permissible

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع فَقُلْتُ مَتَى يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ عَلَى الصَّائِمِ وَ تَحِلُّ الصَّلَاةُ صَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ لِي إِذَا اعْتَرَضَ الْفَجْرُ فَكَانَ كَالْقُبْطِيَّةِ[1] الْبَيْضَاءِ فَثَمَّ يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ عَلَى الصَّائِمِ وَ تَحِلُّ الصَّلَاةُ صَلَاةُ الْفَجْرِ قُلْتُ أَ فَلَسْنَا فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَطْلُعَ شُعَاعُ الشَّمْسِ قَالَ هَيْهَاتَ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ بِكَ تِلْكَ صَلَاةُ الصِّبْيَان

"I asked Abu Abdullah (as), 'When does food become forbidden for the fasting person, and when does the time for the Fajr prayer begin?' Imam (as) said to me: 'When the dawn spreads and appears like a white cloth, at that point food becomes forbidden for the fasting person, and the time for the Fajr prayer begins.' I sa

نَزَلَتْ فِي خَوَّاتِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِ‌[4] وَ كَانَ مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ص فِي الْخَنْدَقِ وَ هُوَ صَائِمٌ وَ أَمْسَى عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ وَ كَانُوا قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْزِلَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ إِذَا نَامَ أَحَدُهُمْ حَرُمَ عَلَيْهِ الطَّعَامُ- فَجَاءَ خَوَّاتٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ حِينَ أَمْسَى فَقَالَ عِنْدَكُمْ طَعَامٌ فَقَالُوا لَا تَنَمْ‌[1] حَتَّى نَصْنَعَ لَكَ طَعَاماً فَاتَّكَى فَنَامَ قَالُوا قَدْ فَعَلْتَ قَالَ

Hadith.1935 - Abu Basir narrated from one of the Imams (as) regarding the verse of Allah (swt), the Exalted: "And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of dawn" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187). Imam (as) said: "This verse was revealed about Khawwat ibn Jubayr al-Ansari. He was with

وَ سُئِلَ الصَّادِقُ ع‌ عَنِ‌ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ بَيَاضُ النَّهَارِ مِنْ سَوَادِ اللَّيْلِ‌[2].

Hadith.1936 - Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq (as) was asked about the verse: "The white thread becomes distinct from the black thread of dawn" (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187). Imam (as) said: "It is the whiteness of the day separating from the darkness of the night."

وَ قَالَ فِي خَبَرٍ آخَرَ وَ هُوَ الْفَجْرُ الَّذِي لَا شَكَّ فِيهِ.

Hadith.1937 - In another narration, Imam (as) said: "It is the dawn about which there is no doubt."

أَحَدُهُمَا هُوَ ذَا وَ قَالَ الْآخَرُ مَا أَرَى شَيْئاً قَالَ فَلْيَأْكُلِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَبَيَّنْ لَهُ الْفَجْرُ وَ لْيَشْرَبْ لِأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ يَقُولُ- وَ كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الْأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الْأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ‌ قَالَ سَمَاعَةُ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ أَكَلَ وَ شَرِبَ بَعْدَ مَا طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فِي شَه

Hadith.1938 - Sama'ah ibn Mihran asked Imam (as) about two men who rose to check for dawn. One of them said, "There it is," while the other said, "I do not see anything." Imam (as) said: "The one who does not see the dawn clearly may eat and drink because Allah (swt), the Exalted, says: 'And eat and drink until the whi

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ رَجُلٍ خَرَجَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ أَصْحَابُهُ يَتَسَحَّرُونَ فِي بَيْتٍ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى الْفَجْرِ فَنَادَاهُمْ أَنَّهُ قَدْ طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فَكَفَّ بَعْضٌ وَ ظَنَّ بَعْضٌ أَنَّهُ يَسْخَرُ فَأَكَلَ فَقَالَ يُتِمُّ وَ يَقْضِي‌[3].

"I asked Abu Abdullah (as) about a man who, during the Month of Ramadan, went out while his companions were taking suhoor (pre-dawn meal) in a house. He saw the dawn and called out to them, saying that the dawn had risen. Some of them stopped eating, while others thought he was joking and continued to eat. Imam (as) sa

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ‌ ع آمُرُ الْجَارِيَةَ لِتَنْظُرَ إِلَى الْفَجْرِ فَتَقُولُ لَمْ يَطْلُعْ بَعْدُ فَآكُلُ ثُمَّ أَنْظُرُ فَأَجِدُهُ قَدْ كَانَ طَلَعَ حِينَ نَظَرَتْ‌[1] قَالَ اقْضِهِ أَمَا إِنَّكَ لَوْ كُنْتَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي نَظَرْتَ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهِ شَيْ‌ءٌ.

"I asked Abu Abdullah (as): 'I instruct a servant girl to check for the dawn, and she tells me that it has not risen yet, so I eat. Then I check and find that it had actually risen when she looked.' Imam (as) said: 'Make up that day. However, if you had been the one to check and it happened, there would be nothing upon