09-07-2008, 10:01 PM
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem
According to Imam Al-Shafii, regarding this verse (2/187), the white thread means the light of the day, and the black thread means darkness of the night, and Al-Fajer is a light that appears in the horizon which ends the night and starts the day, and according to Shafii also, from good manners of fasting, is delaying sahoor " That is one should end from eating and drinking before the rise of fajer, and the evidence of that what imam Ahmad narrated in his musnad(5/147) that Prophet Muhammad( Peace be upon him) said:"My ummah is still in a good position if they quicken the iftar and delays sahoor"
and also i Bukhari(556) that Anas ibn Malik(may Allah be pleased with him) said:"that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him and zayed ibn thabet were in eating during sahor time, so when they finished their sahoor the prophet(Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stood and started praying. we asked Anas how much time was between the time they finished their sahoor and starting prayer, he said the time a man reads 50 ayahs"
According to ibn katheer
Allah said:
[وَكُلُواْ وَاشْرَبُواْ حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكُمُ الْخَيْطُ الأَبْيَضُ مِنَ الْخَيْطِ الأَسْوَدِ مِنَ الْفَجْرِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّواْ الصِّيَامَ إِلَى الَّيْلِ]
(...and eat and drink until the white thread (light) of dawn appears to you distinct from the black thread (darkness of night), then complete your fast till the nightfall.)
Allah has allowed eating and drinking, along with having sexual intercourse, as we have stated, during any part of the night until the light of dawn is distinguished from the darkness of the night. Allah has described that time as `distinguishing the white thread from the black thread.' He then made it clearer when He said:
[مِنَ الْفَجْرِ]
(of dawn.)
And Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala knows best
I will search for more fatwas, insha'Allah and explanation if what I wrote is not clear and enough, please let me know sis M. :)
Salam