The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed that I was saying, “By Allah, I will certainly fast by day and stand in prayer by night as long as I live.” So I said to him, “I did say it; may my father and mother be sacrificed for you.” He said: “You will not be able to do that. So fast and break your fast, stand in prayer and sleep, and fast three days of the month; for a good deed is multiplied by ten like it, and that is like fasting for a lifetime.” I said, “I am able to do better than that.” He said: “Then fast one day and break your fast for two days.” I said, “I am able to do better than that.” He said: “Then fast one day and break your fast one day; that is the fasting of Dawud, ﷺ , and it is the best fasting.” I then said, “I am able to do better than that.” So the Prophet ﷺ said: “There is nothing better than that.”

أُخْبِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنِّي أَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ لأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ وَلأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ مَا عِشْتُ، فَقُلْتُ لَهُ: قَدْ قُلْتُهُ، بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي. قَالَ: «فَإِنَّكَ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِكَ، فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، وَصُمْ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ؛ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا، وَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ». قُلْتُ: إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: «فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ». قُلْتُ: إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ: «فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا؛ فَذَلِكَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ، وَهْوَ أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ». فَقُلْتُ: إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لاَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ».

Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed that I have said: "By Allah, I will fast all the days and pray all the nights as long as I live." On that, Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked me. "Are you the one who says: 'I will fast all the days and pray all the nights as long as I live?' " I said, "Yes, I have said it." He said, "You cannot do that. So fast (sometimes) and do not fast (sometimes). Pray and sleep. Fast for three days a month, for the reward of a good deed is multiplied by ten time, and so the fasting of three days a month equals the fasting of a year." I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I can do (fast) more than this." He said, "Fast on every third day. I said: I can do (fast) more than that, He said: "Fast on alternate days and this was the fasting of David which is the most moderate sort of fasting." I said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I can do (fast) more than that." He said, "There is nothing better than that."

أُخْبِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنِّي أَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ وَلأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ مَا عِشْتُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ وَلأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ مَا عِشْتُ قُلْتُ قَدْ قُلْتُهُ قَالَ إِنَّكَ لاَ تَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِكَ فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَقُمْ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا وَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا وَذَلِكَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَهْوَ عَدْلُ الصِّيَامِ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ لاَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ

[AI] The translation of the given text is: "I informed the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that I swear by Allah, I will fast during the day and stand up for prayer at night as long as I live. So, I told him about it. He said, 'You cannot do that, so fast and break your fast, sleep and wake up, and fast three days every month, for indeed, every good deed is multiplied ten times, and that is like fasting for a lifetime.'"

أُخْبِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنِّي أَقُولُ وَاللَّهِ لَأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ وَلَأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ مَا عِشْتُ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ قَدْ قُلْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِكَ صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَنَمْ وَقُمْ وَصُمْ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا وَذَلِكَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ»