When the verse was revealed, "until the white thread becomes distinct to you from the black thread of dawn" [Baqarah 2:187], I took a black cord and a white cord and placed them under my pillow. I kept looking at them during the night, but I could not tell them apart. So I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the morning and mentioned this to him.He said, "That refers only to the darkness of the night and the brightness of the day."
لما نزلت: {حق يتبين لكم الخيط الأبيض من الخيط الأسود من الفجر} عمدت إلى عقال أسود وإلى عقال أبيض فجعلتها تحت وسادتي، فجعلت أنظر في الليل فلا يستبين لي، فغدوت على رسول الله ﷺ فذكرت له ذلك فقال: إنما ذلك سواد الليل وبياض النهار.
Narrated by Bukhari in the Book of Fasting (1916) and Muslim in the Book of Fasting (1090), both from the hadith of Husayn bin Abdul-Rahman, from Shaybi, from Adi bin Hatim, as mentioned. The wording is Bukhari's.In another version found in both, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "Your pillow must be very wide indeed, if the white thread is under your pillow." Bukhari (4509) and Muslim (1090).In a wording found in Bukhari (4510), "You must have a very wide neck, if you can see the two threads." Then he said, "No, rather it is the blackness of night and the whiteness of day."