Virtues of various methods of observing voluntary fasts

We are pleased with Allah as the Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life, with Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment. He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (the Holy Prophet) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the fasting of my brother David (peace be upon him). He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon be said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year. (Imam Muslim said that in this hadith there is a) narration of Imam Shu'ba that he was asked about fasting on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imam Muslim) did not mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in reporting).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِهِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ: رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعَةً۔

قَالَ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ فَقَالَ: «لاَ صَامَ وَلاَ أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ۔»

قَالَ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمَيْنِ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمٍ قَالَ: «وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ؟»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ: «لَيْتَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَوَّانَا لِذَلِكَ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمٍ قَالَ: «ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ الاِثْنَيْنِ قَالَ: «ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ، وَيَوْمٌ بُعِثْتُ أَوْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَىَّ فِيهِ۔» قَالَ فَقَالَ: «صَوْمُ ثَلاَثَةٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانَ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ فَقَالَ: «يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ: «يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ۔»  

A man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: How do you fast, Messenger of Allah? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ became angry at what he said. When Umar observed this (his anger), he said: We are satisfied with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as Prophet. We seek refuge in Allah from the anger of Allah, and from the anger of His Apostle. Umar continued to repeat these words till his anger cooled down. He then asked: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who observes a perpetual fast? He replied: May he not fast or break his fast. Musaddad said in his version: He has neither fasted nor broken his fast. The narrator, Ghaylan, doubted the actual wordings. He asked: What is the position of one who fasts two days and does not fast one day? He said: Is anyone able to do that? He asked: What is the position of one who fasts every second day (i.e. fasts one day and does not fasts the next day)? He (the Prophet) said: This is the fast that David observed. He asked: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who fasts one day and breaks it for two days? He replied: I wish I were given the power to observe that. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The observance of three days' fast every month and of one Ramadan to the other (i.e. the fast of Ramadan every year) is (equivalent to) a perpetual fast. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Arafah may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming year, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura' may atone for the sins of the preceding year.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ قَوْلِهِ فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ عُمَرُ قَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا نَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ غَضَبِ رَسُولِهِ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ عُمَرُ يُرَدِّدُهَا حَتَّى سَكَنَ غَضَبُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ بِمَنْ يَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ قَالَ لاَ صَامَ وَلاَ أَفْطَرَ قَالَ مُسَدَّدٌ لَمْ يَصُمْ وَلَمْ يُفْطِرْ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَلاَ أَفْطَرَ شَكَّ غَيْلاَنُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ بِمَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا قَالَ أَوَيُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ أَحَدٌ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا قَالَ ذَلِكَ صَوْمُ دَاوُدَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَكَيْفَ بِمَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي طُوِّقْتُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثٌ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ فَهَذَا صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ وَصِيَامُ عَرَفَةَ إِنِّي أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ وَصَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ إِنِّي أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ  

[Machine] A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about fasting on the Day of Arafah. He said, "I hope that Allah will consider it as expiation for the sins of the previous year and the coming year." The man asked, "What do you think about someone who fasts the entire year?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "He neither fasted nor broke his fast." The man asked again, "What do you think of someone who fasts one day and breaks his fast the next day?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That is the fasting of my brother Dawud (David) ﷺ ." The man asked once more, "What do you think of someone who fasts one day and breaks his fast for two days?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "I wish I could fast like that." The man asked, "What do you think of someone who fasts for two days and breaks his fast for one day?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Who can endure that?" Then, the Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting on the Day of Ashura. He said, "I hope that Allah will consider it as expiation for the sins of one year."  

أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ فَقَالَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللهِ كَفَّارَةَ سَنَتَيْنِ مَاضِيَةٍ وَمُسْتَقْبَلَةٍ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا يَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ؟ قَالَ لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمَيْنِ؟ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي طُوِّقْتُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلًا يَصُومُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا؟ قَالَ وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ؟ قَالَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللهِ كَفَّارَةَ سَنَةٍ  

"عَنْ أَبِى قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ نَصُومُ؟ فَغَضب حَتى رؤى الْغَضَبُ في وَجْهِهِ وَرَدَّدَ قَولَه كَيْفَ نَصُومُ؟ فَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عنه الْغَضَبُ أَقْبَلَ، فَكَبَّر عُمَرُ، فَقَالَ: رَضينَا بِالله تَعَالَى ربا وبالإسلَام دِينًا، وبمُحمَّد نبيا، وَبِبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعة، فَسُئِلَ رسولُ الله ﷺ عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَامَ الدَّهَر؟ فَقَالَ: لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ، أَو مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَر فسُئِلَ عَن صْيام يَوْمَينِ وإِفْطَار يَوْم، فَقَالَ: وَمَن يطق ذَلِكَ؟ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَام يَوم وَإِفْطَارِ يَوميْن، فَقَالَ: وَدَدَنا أَنَّ الله تَعَالَى قَوَّانَا عَلى ذَلِكَ، فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَام يَوم وَإفطار يَوْم، قَالَ: ذَاكَ صِيامُ أخى داودَ، فَسُئِل عَنْ صِيَام يوم الاثْنَينِ، فَقَالَ: ذَاكَ يَومٌ بُعِثْتُ فِيه، وَولُدْتُ فِيهِ، وقَالَ صِيَامُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَرَمَضان إِلى رَمَضَان صَومُ الدَّهْر، وسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْم عَرَفَةَ، فَقَالَ: يُكَفِّر السنةَ الماضِيَةَ والبَاقِيةَ وسئِلَ عنْ صَوْم يَوْم عاشُورَاء، فَقَال: يُكَفِّر السَّنة المَاضية".