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ahmad:21753ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Mahdī > Thābit b. Qays Abū Ghuṣn > Abū Saʿīd al-Maqburī > Usāmah b. Zayd

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast on certain days until it was said that he never breaks his fast, and he would break his fast on certain days until it was said that he hardly ever fasts, except for two days of the week, unless there was a fasting in the month, then he would fast those two days as well. He did not fast any month as much as he fasted in Sha'ban. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you fast so much that it seems like you never break your fast, and you break your fast so much that it seems like you hardly ever fast. He said, "Which two days?" I said, "Monday and Thursday." He said, "Those are two days when deeds are shown (to Allah) and I love that my deeds should be shown (to Allah) when I am fasting." I said, "And I have never seen you fasting in any month as you fast in Sha'ban." He said, "That is a month between Rajab and Ramadan that people neglect, but it is a month in which deeds are raised up to the Lord of the worlds, and I love that my deeds should be raised up when I am fasting."  

أحمد:٢١٧٥٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ أَبُو غُصْنٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَصُومُ الْأَيَّامَ يَسْرُدُ حَتَّى يُقَالَ لَا يُفْطِرُ وَيُفْطِرُ الْأَيَّامَ حَتَّى لَا يَكَادَ أَنْ يَصُومَ إِلَّا يَوْمَيْنِ مِنَ الْجُمُعَةِ إِنْ كَانَ فِي صِيَامِهِ وَإِلَّا صَامَهُمَا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَصُومُ مِنْ شَهْرٍ مِنَ الشُّهُورِ مَا يَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ لَا تَكَادُ أَنْ تُفْطِرَ وَتُفْطِرَ حَتَّى لَا تَكَادَ أَنْ تَصُومَ إِلَّا يَوْمَيْنِ إِنْ دَخَلَا فِي صِيَامِكَ وَإِلَّا صُمْتَهُمَا قَالَ أَيُّ يَوْمَيْنِ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمُ الْخَمِيسِ قَالَ ذَانِكَ يَوْمَانِ تُعْرَضُ فِيهِمَا الْأَعْمَالُ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَلَمْ أَرَكَ تَصُومُ مِنْ شَهْرٍ مِنَ الشُّهُورِ مَا تَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَ ذَاكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَفَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Suyūṭī
suyuti:38-22bUsāmah b. Zayd

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to alternate between fasting and not fasting: Sometimes it would be said, "Do not break your fast," and other times it would be said, "Do not fast."

I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, you fast so much that it seems you would almost never break from fasting, and you do not fast so often that it seems you would almost never fast ˹again˺ except for two days if they were to enter during your fasting except your would fast in them." He asked, "Which two days?" I said, "Mondays and Thursdays." He replied, "These are days when deeds are presented to the Lord of the worlds, so I love for my deeds to be presented while I am fasting."  

Aḥmad; Nasaʿī; Ibn Mājah; Maqdisī's Mukhtār
السيوطي:٣٨-٢٢bعن أُسامة بن زيد

كَانَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ يَسْرُدُ الصَّوْمَ فَيُقَالُ: لَا يُفْطِرُ، وَيُفْطِرُ فَيُقَالُ: لَا يَصُومُ۔

قُلتُ: يَا رَسُولَ الله: إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ حَتَّى لَا تَكَادَ تُفْطِرُ، وَتُفْطِرُ حَتَّى لَا تَكَادَ أَنْ تَصُومَ إِلَّا يَوْمَيْنِ إِنْ دَخَلَا فِى صِيَامِكَ وَإلَّا صُمْتَهُمَا، قَالَ: «أَىُّ يَوْمَيْنِ؟» قُلتُ: يَوْمُ الاثْنَيْنِ، وَيَوْمُ الْخَميس، قَالَ: «ذانِكَ يَوْمَانِ تُعْرَضُ فِيهمَا الأَعمَالُ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالمِينَ، فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِى وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ۔»  

[حم] أحمد [ن] النسائي وابن زنجويه، [ض] ضياء المقدسي في مختاره