It reached the Prophet ﷺ that I fast continuously and pray at night. Either he sent for me or I met him, and he said: “Have I not been informed that you fast and do not break your fast, and that you pray? So fast and break your fast; stand (in prayer) and sleep. For your eyes have a right over you, and your own self and your family have a right over you.” I said: I am strong enough for that. He said: *“Then fast the fasting of Dawud ᴬˢ.” I said: And how is that? He said: “He used to fast one day and break his fast one day, and he would not flee when he met (the enemy).” I said: Who can manage that for me, O Prophet of Allah? – Ata said: I do not know how he mentioned fasting forever – The Prophet ﷺ said: “He has not fasted who fasts forever,” twice.

بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنِّي أَسْرُدُ الصَّوْمَ، وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ، فَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ وَإِمَّا لَقِيتُهُ، فَقَالَ: «أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلَا تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي؟ فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ، وَقُمْ وَنَمْ، فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا، وَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ وَأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَظًّا»، قَالَ: إِنِّي لَأَقْوَى لِذَلِكَ، قَالَ: «فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ ؑ»، قَالَ: وَكَيْفَ؟ قَالَ: «كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا، وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى»، قَالَ: مَنْ لِي بِهَذِهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ؟ – قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: لَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ ذَكَرَ صِيَامَ الْأَبَدِ – قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ»، مَرَّتَيْنِ.

It was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that I observe fast successively and pray during the whole night. He sent for me or I met him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It has been conveyed to me that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and pray during the whole night. Don't do that. for there is share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and there is a reward for you (for other) nine (days besides the tenth day of the fast). I said: Apostle of Allah, I find myself more powerful than this. He said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Amr) said: Apostle of Allah, how did David observe fast? He (the Holy Prophet) said: He used to fast one day and break it on the other day, and he did not run (from the battlefield) as he encountered (the enemy). He said: Apostle of Allah, who can guarantee this for me (will I also encounter the enemy dauntlessly)? 'Ata', the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know how there (crept in) the matter of perpetual fast. The Apostle of Allah ﷺ, however, said: He who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all; he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all, he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all.

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ ؓ يَقُولُ بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنِّي أَصُومُ أَسْرُدُ وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ فَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَىَّ وَإِمَّا لَقِيتُهُ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلاَ تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ حَظًّا وَلِنَفْسِكَ حَظًّا وَلأَهْلِكَ حَظًّا فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصَلِّ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ عَشْرَةِ أَيَّامٍ يَوْمًا وَلَكَ أَجْرُ تِسْعَةٍ قَالَ إِنِّي أَجِدُنِي أَقْوَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ دَاوُدُ يَصُومُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى قَالَ مَنْ لِي بِهَذِهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ فَلاَ أَدْرِي كَيْفَ ذَكَرَ صِيَامَ الأَبَدِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ

"The Messenger of Allah heard that I was fasting continually and praying all night." Either he sent for him, or he happened to meet him and he said: "Have I not been told that you fast and never break your fast, and you pray all night? Do not do that, for do that, for your eyes should have a share, your self should have a share, and your family should have a share. Fast and break your fast; pray and sleep. Fast one day out of every ten, and your will have the reward of the other nine." He said: " I am able to do more than that, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Observe the fast of Dawud then." " I said: 'How did Dawud fast, O Prophet of Allah? He said: 'He used to fast one day, and not the next, and he never fled if he met(the enemy in battle)."' He said: "How can I compare to him, O Prophet of Allah?"

سَمِعْتُ عَطَاءً يَقُولُ إِنَّ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ الشَّاعِرَ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنِّي أَصُومُ أَسْرُدُ الصَّوْمَ وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِ وَلَمَّا لَقِيَهُ قَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلاَ تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ حَظًّا وَلِنَفْسِكَ حَظًّا وَلأَهْلِكَ حَظًّا وَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصَلِّ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ عَشْرَةِ أَيَّامٍ يَوْمًا وَلَكَ أَجْرُ تِسْعَةٍ قَالَ إِنِّي أَقْوَى لِذَلِكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ صُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ إِذًا قَالَ وَكَيْفَ كَانَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى قَالَ وَمَنْ لِي بِهَذَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ

It was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that I observe fast successively and pray during the whole night. He sent for me or I met him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It has been conveyed to me that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and pray during the whole night. Don't do that. for there is share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and there is a reward for you (for other) nine (days besides the tenth day of the fast). I said: Apostle of Allah, I find myself more powerful than this. He said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Amr) said: Apostle of Allah, how did David observe fast? He (the Holy Prophet) said: He used to fast one day and break it on the other day, and he did not run (from the battlefield) as he encountered (the enemy). He said: Apostle of Allah, who can guarantee this for me (will I also encounter the enemy dauntlessly)? 'Ata', the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know how there (crept in) the matter of perpetual fast. The Apostle of Allah ﷺ, however, said: He who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all; he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all, he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all. (Using translation from Muslim 1159f)

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو يَقُولُ بَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنِّي أَصُومُ أَسْرُدُ وَأُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ قَالَ فَإِمَّا أَرْسَلَ إِلَيَّ وَإِمَّا لَقِيتُهُ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ وَلَا تُفْطِرُ وَتُصَلِّي اللَّيْلَ؟ فَلَا تَفْعَلْ فَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ حَظًّا وَلِنَفْسِكَ حَظًّا وَلِأَهْلِكَ حَظًّا فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَصَلِّ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ عَشَرَةِ أَيَّامٍ يَوْمًا وَلَكَ أَجْرُ تِسْعَةٍ قَالَ إِنِّي أَجِدُنِي أَقْوَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ قَالَفَكَيْفَ كَانَ دَاوُدُ يَصُومُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ؟ قَالَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى قَالَ مَنْ لِي بِهَذِهِ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ؟ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ فَلَا أَدْرِي كَيْفَ ذَكَرَ صِيَامَ الْأَبَدِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَرَوْحٌ لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ مَرَّتَيْنِ