The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: “O Abdullah, have I not been informed that you fast during the day and stand (in prayer) at night?” I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. He said: “Do not do that. Fast and break your fast; stand ˹in prayer˺ and sleep. For your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you, your wife has a right over you, and your guest has a right over you. It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, for for every good deed you have ten like it, and that is like fasting for the whole lifetime.”

So I insisted, and it was made stricter for me. I said: O Messenger of Allah, I find strength ˹to do more˺. He said: “Then fast the fasting of the Prophet of Allah, Dawud ᴬˢ, and do not go beyond that.” I asekd: And what was the fasting of the Prophet of Allah, Dawud ᴬˢ? He said: “Half of the time (i.e. alternate days).” 

And Abdullah used to say after he grew old: Would that I had accepted the concession of the Prophet ﷺ.

قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ؟» فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ۔ قَالَ: «فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ، صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ كُلَّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَإِنَّ لَكَ بِكُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ عَشْرَ أَمْثَالِهَا، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ»۔ 

فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَىَّ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً۔ قَالَ: «فَصُمْ صِيَامَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ»، قُلْتُ: وَمَا كَانَ صِيَامُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ؟ قَالَ: «نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ»۔ 

فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقُولُ بَعْدَ مَا كَبِرَ يَا لَيْتَنِي قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ۔

Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). Observe fast one day and break it (on the other) day. And he ('Abdullah b. 'Amr) used to say: Would that I had availed myself of this concession.

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا وَلِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَذَلِكَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ بِي قُوَّةً قَالَ فَصُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا فَكَانَ يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي أَخَذْتُ بِالرُّخْصَةِ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "It has reached me that you fast during the day and pray at night. Do not do so, for your body has rights over you, your eyes have rights over you, and your spouse has rights over you. Fast three days every month, for that is the fasting of a whole year." I said, "I have the ability to do more than that." He said, "Fast like the fasting of Prophet David: fast one day and break your fast the next day." Ibn Amr used to say, "I wish I had taken the concession." A'fan and Bahz said, "I find myself with the ability to do more."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَلَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا وَلِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا وَلِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا صُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ فَذَلِكَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنَّ بِي قُوَّةً قَالَ صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا قَالَ فَكَانَ ابْنُ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ أَخَذْتُ بِالرُّخْصَةِ وقَالَ عَفَّانُ وَبَهْزٌ إِنِّي أَجِدُ بِي قُوَّةً

[Machine] I, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , have informed that you stand the night and fast during the day. He said, I said, "O Messenger of Allah, yes." He said, "Then fast and break your fast, pray and sleep, for indeed your body has rights upon you, and your spouse has rights upon you, and your guest has rights upon you, and it is sufficient for you to fast three days of every month." He said, so I insisted, and he insisted on me. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I find strength." He said, "Then fast three days of every week." He said, so I insisted, and he insisted on me. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I find strength." He said, "Fast the fast of the Prophet Davidﷺ and do not exceed it." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what was the fast of David?" He said, "He used to fast one day and break his fast on the next day."

لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَقَدْأُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصَلِّ وَنَمْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ فَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ صُمْ صَوْمَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ دَاوُدَ وَلَا تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَمَا كَانَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ؟ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "O Abdullah ibn Amr, I have been informed that you fast during the day and pray during the night. Do not do so. Your body has rights over you, and your soul has rights over you. Fast and break your fast, and fast for three days every month as a perpetual fast." Abdullah replied, "O Messenger of Allah, I find myself strong enough to do so." The Prophet said, "Observe the fast of Prophet David, fast one day and break your fast the next day." Abdullah ibn Amr used to say, "I wish that I had taken the concession."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَلَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ» قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ «صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا» قَالَ وَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي كُنْتُ أَخَذْتُ الرُّخْصَةَ

" يَا عَبْدَ الله: أَلَمْ أُخْبرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ، وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ؟ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ؛ فَإِنَّكَ إِذْ فَعَلْتَ هَجَمَتْ عَيْنُكَ، وَنَفِهَتْ نَفْسُكَ، فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقّا، وَلِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقّا، وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقّا، وَإنَّ لِزوركَ عَليكَ حَقّا، وَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَإِنَّ لَكَ بِكُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ عَشْرَةَ أَمْثَالِهَا، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ صيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ، قَالَ: إِنِّى أَجِدُ قُوَّةً، قَالَ: فَصُمْ صِيَامَ نَبِىِّ الله دَاوُدَ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ (نصفُ الدَّهْر) ".