Messenger of Allah ﷺ was informed that I had taken an oath to fast daily and to pray (every night) all the night throughout my life (so Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me and asked whether it was correct): I replied, "Let my parents be sacrificed for you! I said so." The Prophet ﷺ said, "You can not do that. So, fast for few days and give it up for few days, offer Salat (prayer) and sleep. Fast three days a month as the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times and that will be equal to one year of fasting." The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Fast one day and give up fasting for two days." I replied, "I can do better than that." The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "Fast one day and give up fasting for a day and that is the fasting of Prophet David and that is the best fasting." I said, "I have the power to fast better (more) than that." The Prophet ﷺ said, "There is no better fasting 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

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۔

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "Recite the whole Qur'an in one month's time." I said, "But I have power (to do more than that)." Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Then finish the recitation of the Qur'an in seven days, and do not finish it in less than this period."

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي شَهْرٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً حَتَّى قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي سَبْعٍ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "O Abdullah! Do not be like so-and-so who used to pray at night and then stopped the night prayer."

قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ: «يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ، لاَ تَكُنْ مِثْلَ فُلاَنٍ، كَانَ يَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَتَرَكَ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ».

It reached the Prophet ﷺ that I fast continuously and pray at night. Either he sent for me or I met him, and he said: “Have I not been informed that you fast and do not break your fast, and that you pray? So fast and break your fast; stand (in prayer) and sleep. For your eyes have a right over you, and your own self and your family have a right over you.” I said: I am strong enough for that. He said: *“Then fast the fasting of Dawud ᴬˢ.” I said: And how is that? He said: “He used to fast one day and break his fast one day, and he would not flee when he met (the enemy).” I said: Who can manage that for me, O Prophet of Allah? – Ata said: I do not know how he mentioned fasting forever – The Prophet ﷺ said: “He has not fasted who fasts forever,” twice.

بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنِّي أَسْرُدُ الصَّوْمَ، وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ، فَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ وَإِمَّا لَقِيتُهُ، فَقَالَ: «أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلَا تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي؟ فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا، وَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ وَأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا»، قَالَ: إِنِّي لَأَقْوَى لِذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ ؑ»، قَالَ: وَكَيْفَ؟ قَالَ: «كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا، وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى»، قَالَ: مَنْ لِي بِهَذِهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ؟ – قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: لَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ ذَكَرَ صِيَامَ الْأَبَدِ – قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ»، مَرَّتَيْنِ.

The Prophet ﷺ said to me, "You fast daily all the year and pray every night all the night?" I replied in the affirmative. The Prophet ﷺ said, "If you keep on doing this, your eyes will become weak and your body will get tired. He who fasts all the year is as he who did not fast at all. The fasting of three days (a month) will be equal to the fasting of the whole year." I replied, "I have the power for more than this." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Then fast like the fasting of David who used to fast on alternate days and would never flee from the battle field, on meeting the enemy."

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ الْمَكِّيَّ وَكَانَ شَاعِرًا وَكَانَ لاَ يُتَّهَمُ فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ قَالَ قَالَ لِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّكَ لَتَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ إِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ هَجَمَتْ لَهُ الْعَيْنُ وَنَفِهَتْ لَهُ النَّفْسُ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الدَّهْرَ صَوْمُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى

Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me, "The most beloved prayer to Allah is that of David and the most beloved fasts to Allah are those of David. He used to sleep for half of the night and then pray for one third of the night and again sleep for its sixth part and used to fast on alternate days."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ أَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ وَأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَكَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا

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