Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me, "The most beloved prayer to Allah is that of David and the most beloved fasts to Allah are those of David. He used to sleep for half of the night and then pray for one third of the night and again sleep for its sixth part and used to fast on alternate days."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ أَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَكَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it."

قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Indeed, the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, and the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David ᴬˢ. He used to sleep half the night, stand ˹in prayer˺ for a third of it, and sleep a sixth of it; and he used to fast one day and break his fast the next day.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «إِنَّ أَحَبَّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، وَأَحَبَّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ ؑ، كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ، وَكَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا»۔

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The most beloved of fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved of prayer to Allah (SWT) is the prayer of Dawud. He used to sleep half the night, spend one-third of the night in prayer and sleep for one-sixth of it.'"

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The most beloved fasting to Allah, the mighty and sublime, is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved prayer to Allah, the mighty and sublime, is the prayer of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to sleep half the night, stand for one-third of it (in prayer), and sleep for one-sixth of it."'

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day.

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَهُ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَكَانَ يُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا

“The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of Dawud, for he used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved of prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud; he used to sleep half of the night, pray one-third of the night and sleep one-sixth of the night.”

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيُصَلِّي ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «أَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا»

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ»

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ»

صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ لَا نَعْلَمُهُ يُرْوَى بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو إِلَّا بِهَذَا الْإِسْنَادِ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2448)

"أحبُّ الصيام إلى اللهِ: صيامُ داودَ، كان يصومُ يومًا ويُفْطِرُ يومًا، وأحبُّ الصلاةِ إلى اللهِ: صلاةُ داودَ، كان ينام نصف اللَّيْل وبقوم ثلثه وينام سُدُسَه" .