"I entered upon 'Abdullah bin 'Amr and said: O uncle, tell me what the Messenger of Allah said to you. He said: O son of my brother, I had resolved to strive very hard until I said: I will fast for the rest of my life and I will read the whole Quran every day and night. The Messenger of Allah heard about that, and came in to me in my house, and said: I have heard that you said, I will fast for a lifetime and will read the Quran. I said: I did say that, O Messenger of Allah. He said; Do not do that. Fast three days of each month. I said: I am able to do more than that. He said: fast two days of each week, Monday and Thursday. I said: I am able to do more than that. He said; Observe the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him, for it is the best kind of fasting before Allah; one day fasting, and one day not fasting. And when he made a promise he did not break it, and when he met (the enemy in battle) he did not flee." 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted."  

لَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنِّي كُنْتُ أَجْمَعْتُ عَلَى أَنْ أَجْتَهِدَ اجْتِهَادًا شَدِيدًا حَتَّى قُلْتُ لأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ وَلأَقْرَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ فَسَمِعَ بِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَانِي حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فِي دَارِي فَقَالَ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ لأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ وَلأَقْرَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ مِنَ الْجُمُعَةِ يَوْمَيْنِ الاِثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسَ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمًا صَائِمًا وَيَوْمًا مُفْطِرًا وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا وَعَدَ لَمْ يُخْلِفْ وَإِذَا لاَقَى لَمْ يَفِرَّ  

[Machine] I entered the house of Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As and he asked me, assuming that I belonged to the Banu Umm Kulthum, the daughter of Uqba, "I am from the Kilab tribe, the daughter of Asbagh. I have come to ask you about what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had entrusted to you or said to you." He replied, "During the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I used to say that I would recite the Quran every day and night, and I would fast the entire year. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed about this and he came to my house and asked, 'Did I not receive the news, O Abdullah, that you say you would fast the entire year and recite the Quran every day and night?' I replied, 'Yes, indeed, O Prophet of Allah.' He said, 'Do not fast the entire month, but fast three days every month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that.' He said, 'So fast on Mondays and Thursdays.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that, O Prophet of Allah.' He said, 'Then fast one day and break your fast on the following day, for it is the most balanced fast in the sight of Allah. This is the fast of Prophet Davidﷺ who would agree to what he promised and would not fail to meet someone.' He also advised me, 'Recite the Quran once every month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that, O Prophet of Allah.' He said, 'Then recite it once every half month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that, O Prophet of Allah.' He said, 'Then recite it once in every seven days. Do not exceed this.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ left my house."  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ دَارَهُ فَسَأَلَنِي وَهُوَ يَظُنُّ أَنِّي مِنْ بَنِي أُمِّ كُلْثُومٍ ابْنَةِ عُقْبَةَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ إِنَّمَا أَنَا لِلْكَلْبِيَّةِ ابْنَةِ الْأَصْبَغِ وَقَدْ جِئْتُكَ لِأَسْأَلَكَ عَمَّا كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَهِدَ إِلَيْكَ أَوْ قَالَ لَكَ؟ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَقُولُ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ لَأَقْرَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ وَلَأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ عَنِّي فَجَاءَنِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ بَيْتِي فَقَالَ أَلَمْ يَبْلُغْنِي يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ لَأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ وَلَأَقْرَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قد قُلْتُ ذَاكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَالَ فَلَا تَفْعَلْ صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمِ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا فَإِنَّهُ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَهُوَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ وَكَانَ لَا يُخْلِفُ إِذَا وَعَدَ وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى وَاقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّشَهْرٍ مَرَّةً قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي لَأَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ نِصْفِ شَهْرٍ مَرَّةً قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعٍ لَا تَزِيدَنَّ عَلَى ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ  

"I entered upon 'Abdullah bin 'Amr and said: O uncle, tell me what the Messenger of Allah said to you. He said: O son of my brother, I had resolved to strive very hard until I said: I will fast for the rest of my life and I will read the whole Quran every day and night. The Messenger of Allah heard about that, and came in to me in my house, and said: I have heard that you said, I will fast for a lifetime and will read the Quran. I said: I did say that, O Messenger of Allah. He said; Do not do that. Fast three days of each month. I said: I am able to do more than that. He said: fast two days of each week, Monday and Thursday. I said: I am able to do more than that. He said; Observe the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him, for it is the best kind of fasting before Allah; one day fasting, and one day not fasting. And when he made a promise he did not break it, and when he met (the enemy in battle) he did not flee." 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2393)  

لَكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنِّي قَدْ كُنْتُ أَجْمَعْتُ عَلَى أَنْ أَجْتَهِدَ اجْتِهَادًا شَدِيدًا حَتَّى قُلْتُ لَأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ وَلَأَقْرَأَنَّ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ فَسَمِعَ بِذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَتَانِي حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ فِي دَارِي فَقَالَ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ قُلْتَ لَأَصُومَنَّ الدَّهْرَ فَقُلْتُ قَدْ قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَلَا تَفْعَلْ صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ» قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ «فَصُمْ مِنَ الْجُمُعَةِ يَوْمَيْنِ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَالْخَمِيسَ» قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكِ قَالَ «فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ فَإِنَّهُ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ عِنْدَ اللهِ يَوْمًا صَائِمًا وَيَوْمًا مُفْطِرًا وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا وَعَدَ لَمْ يُخْلِفْ وَإِذَا لَاقَى لَمْ يَفِرَّ»