"Abdullah bin 'Amr said to me: My father got me married to a woman from a noble family, and he used to come to her and ask her about her husband. She said: What a wonderful man he is! He never comes to my bed. And he has never approached me since he married me. He mentioned that to the Prophet and he said: Bring him to me. So he brought him with him and (the Prophet) said: How do you fast? I said: "Every day." He said: "Fast three days of every month." I said: "I am able to do better than that." He said: "Fast for two days, and break your fast for one day." He said; "I am able to do better than that". He said: "Observe the best of fasts, the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him: Fasting for one day and breaking the fast for one day." 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted."  

نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ لَمْ يَطَأْ لَنَا فِرَاشًا وَلَمْ يُفَتِّشْ لَنَا كَنَفًا مُنْذُ أَتَيْنَاهُ فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ ائْتِنِي بِهِ فَأَتَيْتُهُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ قُلْتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ قَالَ صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ صُمْ يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا قَالَ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ صُمْ أَفْضَلَ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَفِطْرُ يَوْمٍ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ met me and said: Have I not been informed that you told: I shall stand at prayer all the night, and I shall fast during the day ? He said: I think so. Yes, Messenger of Allah, I have said this. He said: Get up and pray at night and sleep ; fast and break your fast ; fast three days every month: that is equivalent to keeping perpetual fast. I said: Messenger of Allah, I have more power than that. He said: Then fast one day and break your fast one day. That is the most moderate fast ; that is the fast of Dawud (David). He said: I have more power than that. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There is no fast more excellent that it.  

لَقِيَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُحَدَّثْ أَنَّكَ تَقُولُ لأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ وَلأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ قَالَ أَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ قُلْتُ ذَاكَ قَالَ قُمْ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَذَاكَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا وَهُوَ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ وَهُوَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ met me and said: Have I not been informed that you told: I shall stand at prayer all the night, and I shall fast during the day ? He said: I think so. Yes, Messenger of Allah, I have said this. He said: Get up and pray at night and sleep ; fast and break your fast ; fast three days every month: that is equivalent to keeping perpetual fast. I said: Messenger of Allah, I have more power than that. He said: Then fast one day and break your fast one day. That is the most moderate fast ; that is the fast of Dawud (David). He said: I have more power than that. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: There is no fast more excellent that it. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 2427)  

لَقِيَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺفَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُحَدَّثْ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ؟ أَوْ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ لَأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ وَلَأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ؟ قَالَ أَحْسِبُهُ قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَدْ قُلْتُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَقُمْ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَلَكَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا وَهُوَ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ وَهُوَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ