Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
nasai-kubra:2665Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٦٦٥أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:1131ʿAlī b. ʿAbdullāh > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

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."  

البخاري:١١٣١حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَوْسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ

أَخْبَرَهُ 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  

bukhari:3420Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it."  

البخاري:٣٤٢٠حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ الثَّقَفِيِّ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ  

muslim:1159kAbū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah And Zuhayr b. Ḥarb > Zuhayr > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

With Allah the best fasting is that of David and the best prayer is that of David (peace be upon him) for he slept half of the night and stood for prayer for the third of it and (then) slept the sixth part of it and he observed fast one day and broke on the other.  

مسلم:١١٥٩kوَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ قَالَ زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَحَبَّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَأَحَبَّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَكَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

nasai:1630Qutaybah > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The most beloved of fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved of prayer to Allah (SWT) is the prayer of Dawud. He used to sleep half the night, spend one-third of the night in prayer and sleep for one-sixth of it.'"  

النسائي:١٦٣٠أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ  

nasai:2344Qutaybah > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The most beloved fasting to Allah, the mighty and sublime, is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved prayer to Allah, the mighty and sublime, is the prayer of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to sleep half the night, stand for one-third of it (in prayer), and sleep for one-sixth of it."'  

النسائي:٢٣٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ  

abudawud:2448Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal And Muḥammad b. ʿĪsá Wamusaddad Wa-al-Ikhbār Fī Ḥadīth Aḥmad > Sufyān > ʿAmr > ʿAmrū b. Aws Samiʿah from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day.  

أبو داود:٢٤٤٨حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى وَمُسَدَّدٌ وَالإِخْبَارُ فِي حَدِيثِ أَحْمَدَ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَمْرًا قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَهُ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَكَانَ يُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا  

ibnmajah:1712Abū Isḥāq al-Shāfiʿī Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad b. al-ʿAbbās > Sufyān b. ʿUyaynah > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

“The most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of Dawud, for he used to fast one day and not the next. And the most beloved of prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud; he used to sleep half of the night, pray one-third of the night and sleep one-sixth of the night.”  

ابن ماجة:١٧١٢حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ الشَّافِعِيُّ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْعَبَّاسِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَوْسٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيُصَلِّي ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ  

ahmad:6491Sufyān > ʿAmr > ʿAmr b. Aws Samiʿah from ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2448)  

أحمد:٦٤٩١حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ سَمِعْتُ عَمْرًا أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَهُ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَكَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

ahmad:6921Muḥammad b. Bakr And ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Ibn Jurayj Warawḥ > Ibn Jurayj > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of David, as he used to fast half of the year. And the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of David, as he used to sleep half of the night, then he would wake up and pray, and then he would sleep again, and then he would wake up and pray one-third of the night after the half."  

أحمد:٦٩٢١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ وَعَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ وَرَوْحٌ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَوْسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَرْقُدُ شَطْرَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يَرْقُدُ آخِرَهُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ  

ذِكْرُ وَصْفِ قِيَامِ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا وَعَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَصِيَامِهِ

ibnhibban:2590ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > ʿAbd al-Jabbār b. al-ʿAlāʾ > Sufyān > Samiʿtuh from ʿAmr b. Dīnār Mundh Sabʿīn Sanah > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)  

ابن حبّان:٢٥٩٠أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْجَبَّارِ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ مُنْذُ سَبْعِينَ سَنَةً يَقُولُ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يُخْبِرُ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «أَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ وَأَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا»  

nasai-kubra:1329Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Sufyān > ʿAmr b. Dīnār > ʿAmr b. Aws > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "The most beloved fasting to Allah was the fasting of (the Prophet) David who used to fast on alternate days. And the most beloved prayer to Allah was the prayer of David who used to sleep for (the first) half of the night and pray for 1/3 of it and (again) sleep for a sixth of it." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3420)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٣٢٩أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللهِ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ»  

suyuti:606a

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2448)   

السيوطي:٦٠٦a

"أحبُّ الصيام إلى اللهِ: صيامُ داودَ، كان يصومُ يومًا ويُفْطِرُ يومًا، وأحبُّ الصلاةِ إلى اللهِ: صلاةُ داودَ، كان ينام نصف اللَّيْل وبقوم ثلثه وينام سُدُسَه" .  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [ن] النسائي [هـ] ابن ماجة عن ابن عَمْرو