Virtues of various methods of observing voluntary fasts

[Machine] A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about his fasting. He became angry and said, "Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is satisfied, or he said, 'We are satisfied with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad as our Messenger, and our pledge is a pledge." Then Umar or another man stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah, there is a man who fasts continuously." He said, "He does not fast nor break his fast. What he fasts and what he breaks his fast with is fasting two days and breaking his fast for one day." He said, "Who can endure that?" He said, "He can break his fast for one day and fast for one day." He said, "I wish Allah would strengthen us for that." He said, "Fasting one day and breaking the fast for one day." He said, "What about the fasting of Monday and Thursday?" He said, "That is a day on which I was born and on which revelation was sent down to me." He said, "Fasting three days of each month and Ramadan to Ramadan is the fasting of the whole year, and its breaking of fast." He said, "What about fasting on the day of Arafah?" He said, "It expiates for the previous and coming year." He said, "What about fasting on the day of Ashura?" He said, "It expiates for the previous year."

أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ صَوْمِهِ؟ فَغَضِبَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيتُ أَوْ قَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا قَالَ وَلَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا قَدْ قَالَ وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا وَبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعَةً قَالَ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ رَجُلٌ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ قَالَ لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ إِفْطَارُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَصَوْمُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ لَيْتَ اللهَ ﷻ قَوَّانَا لِذَلِكَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ قَالَ صَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ 10 وَالْخَمِيسِ؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ وَأُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ قَالَ صَوْمُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانَ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ وَإِفْطَارُهُ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَالْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ

[Machine] An Arab man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said to him, "O Prophet of Allah, how do you fast or how do you observe fasting?" The Prophet ﷺ remained silent and did not respond to him. When his anger subsided, Umar ibn Al-Khattab asked him and said, "O Prophet of Allah, how do you fast or how do you observe fasting? Have you seen anyone who fasts the entire year?" He replied, "No, he neither fasts nor breaks his fast." Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, what if someone fasts two days and breaks his fast for one day?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "If someone is able to do that, O Umar, I would have wished to do it." Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, what if someone fasts one day and breaks his fast for one day?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That is the fasting of Prophet David (upon him be peace)." Umar then asked, "O Prophet of Allah, what if someone fasts on the day of Arafah?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "It makes up for the previous year and the year after it." Umar asked, "What if someone fasts three days from each month?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That is the fasting of the entire year." Umar asked, "What if someone fasts on the day of Ashura?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "It makes up for the previous year." Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, what if someone fasts on Mondays?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "That is the day I was born and the day I received Prophethood."

أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ كَيْفَ صَوْمُكَ أَوْ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئًا فَلَمَّا أَنْ سَكَنَ عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ سَأَلَهُ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ كَيْفَ صَوْمُكَ أَوْ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ؟ قَالَ لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ أَوْ قَالَ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَفْطَرَ يَوْمًا؟ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَمَنْ يطِيقُ ذَلِكَ يَا عُمَرُ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطَرَ يَوْمًا؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَ عَرَفَةَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهَا قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ ثَلَاثًا مِنَ الشَّهْرِ؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَ عَاشُورَاءَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَ الِاثْنَيْنِ؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ وَيَوْمٌ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ النُّبُوَّةُ

"عَنْ أَبِى قَتَادَةَ قَالَ: سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ نَصُومُ؟ فَغَضب حَتى رؤى الْغَضَبُ في وَجْهِهِ وَرَدَّدَ قَولَه كَيْفَ نَصُومُ؟ فَلَمَّا سَكَتَ عنه الْغَضَبُ أَقْبَلَ، فَكَبَّر عُمَرُ، فَقَالَ: رَضينَا بِالله تَعَالَى ربا وبالإسلَام دِينًا، وبمُحمَّد نبيا، وَبِبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعة، فَسُئِلَ رسولُ الله ﷺ عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَامَ الدَّهَر؟ فَقَالَ: لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ، أَو مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَر فسُئِلَ عَن صْيام يَوْمَينِ وإِفْطَار يَوْم، فَقَالَ: وَمَن يطق ذَلِكَ؟ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَام يَوم وَإِفْطَارِ يَوميْن، فَقَالَ: وَدَدَنا أَنَّ الله تَعَالَى قَوَّانَا عَلى ذَلِكَ، فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَام يَوم وَإفطار يَوْم، قَالَ: ذَاكَ صِيامُ أخى داودَ، فَسُئِل عَنْ صِيَام يوم الاثْنَينِ، فَقَالَ: ذَاكَ يَومٌ بُعِثْتُ فِيه، وَولُدْتُ فِيهِ، وقَالَ صِيَامُ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ، وَرَمَضان إِلى رَمَضَان صَومُ الدَّهْر، وسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْم عَرَفَةَ، فَقَالَ: يُكَفِّر السنةَ الماضِيَةَ والبَاقِيةَ وسئِلَ عنْ صَوْم يَوْم عاشُورَاء، فَقَال: يُكَفِّر السَّنة المَاضية".