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.