"The Messenger of Allah said: 'I have heard that you stand (in prayer) all night and fast all day.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I only meant good by that.' He said: 'One who fasts every day of his life has not truly fasted. But I will tell you what fasting for a lifetime means: Three days of every month.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I said: 'I am able to do more than that.' He said 'Observe the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him; he used to fast one day and not the next."' '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."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَرَدْتُ بِذَلِكَ إِلاَّ الْخَيْرَ قَالَ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ وَلَكِنْ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى صَوْمِ الدَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ صُمْ خَمْسَةَ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ عَشْرًا فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

"The Messenger of Allah said to me" and he quoted the same Hadith. '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."  

حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَكَانَ شَاعِرًا وَكَانَ صَدُوقًا عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ  

"The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'O 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, you fast all the time and you do stand (in prayer) at night, but if you do that your eyes will become sunken and you will become exhausted. There is no fast for one who fasts every day of his life. Fasting a lifetime means fasting three days each month,  

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ هَجَمَتِ الْعَيْنُ وَنَفِهَتْ لَهُ النَّفْسُ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى  

"The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'Read the Qur'an in a month.' I said: 'I am able to do more than that. ' And I kept asking him until he said: 'In five days.' And he said: 'Fast three days a month.' I said: 'I am able to do more than that.' And 'Observe thhe most beloved of fasting to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, the fast one day and not the next." (Suahih).  

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي شَهْرٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى قَالَ فِي خَمْسَةِ أَيَّامٍ وَقَالَ صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّى قَالَ صُمْ أَحَبَّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

"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