actually so, whether he accepts that apparent meaning or rejects it. This error has long existed among people and persists to this day; instances of it occurred even in the earliest period of Islam. For example, some supposed that the apparent meaning of Allah’s words, “Until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread” [al-Baqarah 187], was that they should be able to distinguish a white cord from a black cord. Thus, one of them would tie two cords to his legs.

In the two Sahīh collections, Abū Hāzim reports that Sahl ibn Saʿd said: “The words ‘And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread’ were revealed, but the words ‘of dawn’ had not been revealed. There were men who, when they intended to fast, would tie a white thread and a black thread to their legs and continue eating until they could distinguish the two. Allah subsequently revealed ‘of dawn,’ and they understood that what was meant was night and day.”