I and 'Abdullah b. Yazid set out till we came to Abu Salama. We sent a messenger to him (in his house in order to inform him about our arrival) and he came to us. There was a mosque near the door of his house, and we were in that mosque, till he came out to us. He said: If you like you may enter (the house) and, if you like, you may sit here (in the mosque). We said: We would rather sit here and (you) relate to us. He (Yahya) then narrated that 'Abdullah b Amr b. al-'As (Allah be pleased with them) told him: I used to observe fast uninterruptedly and recited the (whole of the) Qur'an every night. It (the uninterrupted fasting and recital of the Qur'an every night) was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or he sent for me, and I went to him and he said to me: I have been informed that you fast continuously and recite (the whole of the Qur'an) every night. I said: Apostle of Allah, it is right, but I covet thereby nothing but good, whereupon he said: It suffices for you that you should observe fast for three days during every month. I said: Apostle of Allah, I am capable of doing more than this. He said: Your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your body has a right upon you; so observe the fast of David, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), for he was the best worshipper of Allah. I said: Apostle of Allah, what is the fast of David? He said: He used to fast one day and did not fast the other day. He (also) said: Recite the Qur'an during every month. I said: Apostle of Allah, I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite it in twenty days; recite it in ten days. I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite it every week, and do not exceed beyond this, for your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your body has a right upon you. He ('Amr b. 'As) said: I was hard to myself and thus I was put to hardship. The Apostle of Allah ﷺ had told me: 'You do not know you may live long (thus and bear the hardships for a long time), and I accepted that which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had told me. When I grew old I wished I had availed myself of the concession (granted by) the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.  

انْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يَزِيدَ حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِ رَسُولاً 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 لاَ بَلْ نَقْعُدُ هَا هُنَا فَحَدِّثْنَا قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ وَأَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ قَالَ فَإِمَّا ذُكِرْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقَالَ لِي أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ وَتَقْرَأُ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ أُرِدْ بِذَلِكَ إِلاَّ الْخَيْرَ قَالَ فَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا قَالَ فَصُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَمَا صَوْمُ دَاوُدَ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا قَالَ وَاقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي كُلِّ شَهْرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ عِشْرِينَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ عَشْرٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَاقْرَأْهُ فِي كُلِّ سَبْعٍ وَلاَ تَزِدْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا قَالَ فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَىَّ قَالَ وَقَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّكَ لاَ تَدْرِي لَعَلَّكَ يَطُولُ بِكَ عُمْرٌ قَالَ فَصِرْتُ إِلَى الَّذِي قَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلَمَّا كَبِرْتُ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ ﷺ