“When the verse: {...until the white thread of dawn becomes distinct to you from the black thread (of night)} Al-Baqarah: 187 was revealed, ‘Adayy ibn Ḥātim said to the Prophet: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I place two cords (‘iqāl)—a white one and a black one—under my pillow so that I may distinguish the night from the day.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: ‘Then your pillow must be vast indeed! It (the verse) refers only to the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day.’”
Narrated by al-Bukhārī (No. 1916) and Muslim (No. 1090), in his wording, from ‘Adayy ibn Ḥātim, may Allah be pleased with him.
In al-Bukhārī: “So I would look during the night, but it would not become clear to me…”
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
The companions, may Allah be pleased with them, were most diligent in understanding the Qur’ān and the Sunnah and in acting upon them; whenever something was unclear to them, they would turn to the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, seeking clarification. When the verse was revealed: {…and eat and drink until you can distinguish the white thread of dawn from the black thread (of night)} (al-Baqarah 2:187), ‘Adayy ibn Ḥātim, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “O Messenger of Allah, I place two cords (‘iqāl)—a white one and a black one—under my pillow so that I may distinguish the night from the day.”
The two cords (‘iqāl) were threads or ropes that he placed under his pillow, and he would look at them while on his bed to distinguish the end of the night and the beginning of the day. In some narrations: “So I took two threads”—clarifying the cords—yet when dawn broke, he looked at them, but the white thread did not become distinguishable from the black, which is the meaning of his words: “but it would not become clear to me”, due to the persistence of the night’s darkness. He went in the morning to the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, and informed him of what had occurred. The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, smiled in astonishment at his action, then said: “Then your pillow must be vast indeed! It is only the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day.” That is, what is meant is not two physical threads, but rather the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day—that is, the appearance of true dawn, upon which the rulings of fasting and prayer depend.
In the ḥadīth, there is an indication of the companions’ diligence, may Allah be pleased with them, in adhering to what Allah revealed, and of their turning to the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, to seek clarification regarding matters that were unclear to them.
It also indicates that the Sunnah clarifies and corresponds with the Qur’ān, for the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, made clear that the ultimate limit for eating, drinking, and intercourse is the appearance of true dawn. Moreover, words are not necessarily to be taken in their literal, sensory sense if there is evidence indicating otherwise.