The story of Amr b. al-As seeking permission to intensify his worship but regretted it later on in life

I set out, along with Abdullah b. Yazid, to go to Abu Salamah, and we sent a messenger to him. He came out to us, and there was a small mosque at the door of his house. He said: We stayed in the mosque until he came out to us, and he said: If you wish, you may enter, and if you wish, you may sit here. We said: Rather, we will sit here—so tell us.

He said: Abdullah b. Amr b. al-As narrated to me: I used to fast continuously, and I would recite the Quran every night. Either I was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ or he sent for me, so I went to him. He said to me: “Have I not been informed that you fast continuously and recite the Quran every night?” I said: Yes, O Prophet of Allah, and I only intended good by that. He said: “It is sufficient for you to fast three days of every month.” I said: O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do better than that. He said: “Your wife has a right over you, your guest has a right over you, and your body has a right over you.” He said: “So fast the fast of Dawud, the Prophet of Allah  ﷺ , for he was the most devoted of people.” I said: O Prophet of Allah, what is the fast of Dawud? He said: “He would fast one day and break the fast the next.”

He said: “And recite the Quran every month.” I said: O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do better than that. He said: “Then recite it every twenty ˹days˺.” I said: O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do better than that. He said: “Then recite it in every ten.” I said: O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do better than that. He said: “Then recite it in every seven, and do not go beyond that—for your wife has a right over you, your guest has a right over you, and your body has a right over you.”

He said: So I made things hard on myself, and it was made hard on me. He said: And the Prophet ﷺ said to me: “You do not know, perhaps you will live a long life.” He said: So I ended up adhering to what the Prophet ﷺ had told me, and when I grew old, I wished that I had accepted the concession of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ .

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَعَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِ رَسُولًا، فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا، وَإِذَا عِنْدَ بَابِ دَارِهِ مَسْجِدٌ، قَالَ: فَكُنَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى خَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا، فَقَالَ: إِنْ تَشَاءُوا أَنْ تَدْخُلُوا وَإِنْ تَشَاءُوا أَنْ تَقْعُدُوا هَا هُنَا، قَالَ: فَقُلْنَا: لَا بَلْ نَقْعُدُ هَا هُنَا، فَحَدِّثْنَا، 

قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ قَالَ: كُنْتُ أَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ، وَأَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ، قَالَ: فَإِمَّا ذُكِرْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ فَأَتَيْتُهُ، فَقَالَ لِي: «أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ، وَتَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ؟»، فَقُلْتُ: بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ وَلَمْ أُرِدْ بِذَلِكَ إِلَّا الْخَيْرَ، قَالَ: «فَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ»، قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا»، قَالَ: «فَصُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ ﷺ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ»، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ وَمَا صَوْمُ دَاوُدَ؟ قَالَ: «كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا، وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا»، 

قَالَ: «وَاقْرَأِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ»، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ عِشْرِينَ»، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ عَشْرٍ»، قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعٍ وَلَا تَزِدْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا»، 

قَالَ: فَشَدَّدْتُ، فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ. قَالَ: وَقَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «إِنَّكَ لَا تَدْرِي لَعَلَّكَ يَطُولُ بِكَ عُمْرٌ»، قَالَ: فَصِرْتُ إِلَى الَّذِي قَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلَمَّا كَبِرْتُ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ نَبِيِّ 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."

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] "Abdullah entered my house, the Messenger of Allahﷺ and said, 'Did I not inform you that you should recite the Quran every day and night?' So, recite it every month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that.' He said, 'Then recite it every half month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that.' He said, 'Then recite it every seven days, but do not increase it.' And he informed me that I fast the entire lifetime. I said, 'I do fast, O Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Fast for three days every month.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that.' He said, 'Fast for two days every week.' I said, 'I am capable of doing more than that.' He said, 'Fast as Dawood (David) fasted, one day on and one day off, for it is the most just fast in the sight of Allah and he did not break his promise nor run away when he met with someone.'"

عَبْدُ اللهِ دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَيْتِي فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَلَيْلَةٍ؟ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي نِصْفِ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعٍ لَا تَزِيدَنَّ وَبَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ؟ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي لَأَصُومُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَقْوَى عَلَى أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْصِيَامَ دَاوُدَ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا فَإِنَّهُ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ عِنْدَ اللهِ وَكَانَ لَا يُخْلِفُ إِذَا وَعَدَ وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى