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

Al-Kāfi|Volume 4|Book 2|Chapter 18
Al-Kāfi

Volume 4, Book 2, Chapter 18

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

5ـ عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) فَقُلْتُ مَتَى يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ وَالشَّرَابُ عَلَى الصَّائِمِ وَتَحِلُّ الصَّلاةُ صَلاةُ الْفَجْرِ فَقَالَ إِذَا اعْتَرَضَ الْفَجْرُ وَكَانَ كَالْقُبْطِيَّةِ الْبَيْضَاءِ فَثَمَّ يَحْرُمُ الطَّعَامُ وَيَحِلُّ الصِّيَامُ وَتَحِلُّ الصَّلاةُ صَلاةُ الْفَجْرِ قُلْتُ فَلَسْنَا فِي وَقْتٍ إِلَى أَنْ يَطْلُعَ شُعَاعُ الشَّمْسِ فَقَالَ هَيْهَاتَ أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ تِلْكَ صَلاةُ الصِّبْيَانِ.
5. A number of our people have narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from ‘Asem ibn Humayd from abu Basir who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, ‘When does it become unlawful to eat and drink for one fasting, and when does performing Salat (prayer) of the morning becomes lawful?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘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 Salat (prayer) by children.’”
  • Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi
    Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (6/267)
  • Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 71