Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed about my fasts, and he came to me and I spread for him a leather cushion stuffed with palm fires, but he sat on the ground and the cushion remained between me and him, and then he said, "Isn't it sufficient for you to fast three days a month?" I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! (I can fast more)." He said, "Five?" I replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! (I can fast more)." He said, "Seven?" I replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! (I can fast more)." He said, "Nine (days per month)?" I replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! (I can fast more)" He said, "Eleven (days per month)?" And then the Prophet said, "There is no fast superior to that of the Prophet ﷺ David it was for half of the year. So, fast on alternate days."  

فَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذُكِرَ لَهُ صَوْمِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَأَلْقَيْتُ لَهُ وِسَادَةً مِنْ أَدَمٍ حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ خَمْسًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَبْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تِسْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ شَطْرَ الدَّهْرِ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا  

I went along with your father to 'Abdullah b. Amr, and he narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed about my fasting and he came to me, and I placed a leather cushion filled with fibre of date-palms for him. He sat down upon the ground and there was that cushion between me and him, and he said to me: Does three days' fasting in a month not suffice you? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) five (not suffice for you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts) He said: (Would) seven (fasts) not suffice you? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He (the Holy Prophet) then said: (Would) nine (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) eleven (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts than these). Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There is no fasting (better than) the fasting of David which comprises half of the age, fasting a day and not fasting a day.  

فَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذُكِرَ لَهُ صَوْمِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَأَلْقَيْتُ لَهُ وِسَادَةً مِنْ أَدَمٍ حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ لِي أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ خَمْسًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَبْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تِسْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ شَطْرُ الدَّهْرِ صِيَامُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ  

"I entered with Zaid upon 'Abdullah bin Amr and he narrated: 'The Messenger of Allah was told about my fasting, so the entered upon me and I gave him an average-sized leather pillow that was stuffed with palm fibvers. He sat in the ground with the pillow between myself and him, and said: "Whill it not be sufficient for you to fast three days each months?" I said: O Messenger of Allah! He said: "O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "Eleven." I said: "O Messenger of Allah!" Then the Prophet said: "There is not fast better than the fast of Dawud, half of a lifetime, fasting one day and not next."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذُكِرَ لَهُ صَوْمِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَأَلْقَيْتُ لَهُ وِسَادَةَ أَدَمٍ رَبْعَةً حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ قَالَ أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ خَمْسًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَبْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ تِسْعًا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ شَطْرَ الدَّهْرِ صِيَامُ يَوْمٍ وَفِطْرُ يَوْمٍ  

"I entered with Zaid upon 'Abdullah bin Amr and he narrated: 'The Messenger of Allah was told about my fasting, so the entered upon me and I gave him an average-sized leather pillow that was stuffed with palm fibvers. He sat in the ground with the pillow between myself and him, and said: "Whill it not be sufficient for you to fast three days each months?" I said: O Messenger of Allah! He said: "O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "Eleven." I said: "O Messenger of Allah!" Then the Prophet said: "There is not fast better than the fast of Dawud, half of a lifetime, fasting one day and not next." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2402)  

فَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَكَرَ لَهُ صَوْمِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ وَأَلْقَيْتُ وِسَادَةً مِنْ أَدَمٍ حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ وَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ «أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثٌ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «خَمْسٌ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «سَبْعٌ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «تِسْعٌ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «لَا صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ شَطْرُ الدَّهْرِ صِيَامُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ»  

"I entered with Zaid upon 'Abdullah bin Amr and he narrated: 'The Messenger of Allah was told about my fasting, so the entered upon me and I gave him an average-sized leather pillow that was stuffed with palm fibvers. He sat in the ground with the pillow between myself and him, and said: "Whill it not be sufficient for you to fast three days each months?" I said: O Messenger of Allah! He said: "O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "Eleven." I said: "O Messenger of Allah!" Then the Prophet said: "There is not fast better than the fast of Dawud, half of a lifetime, fasting one day and not next." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2402)  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ ذُكِرَ لَهُ صَوْمِي فَدَخَلَ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَأَلْقَيْتُ لَهُ وِسَادَةً حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ فَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ «أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ؟» قُلْتُ زِدْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «خَمْسًا» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «سَبْعًا» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «تِسْعًا» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «أحْدَ عَشَرَ»؟ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «لَا صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ شَطْرَ الدَّهْرِ صِيَامُ يَوْمٍ وَفِطْرُ يَوْمٍ»