Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me and said, "Have I not been informed that you offer prayer all the night and fast the whole day?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do not do so; Offer prayer at night and also sleep; Fast for a few days and give up fasting for a few days because your body has a right on you, and your eye has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you. I hope that you will have a long life, and it is sufficient for you to fast for three days a month as the reward of a good deed, is multiplied ten times, that means, as if you fasted the whole year." I insisted (on fasting more) so I was given a hard instruction. I said, "I can do more than that (fasting)" The Prophet said, "Fast three days every week." But as I insisted (on fasting more) so I was burdened. I said, "I can fast more than that." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Fast as Allah's prophet David used to fast." I said, "How was the fasting of the prophet David?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "One half of a year (i.e. he used to fast on alternate days). '

دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ قُمْ وَنَمْ وَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِعَيْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّكَ عَسَى أَنْ يَطُولَ بِكَ عُمُرٌ وَإِنَّ مِنْ حَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّ بِكُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ عَشْرَ أَمْثَالِهَا فَذَلِكَ الدَّهْرُ كُلُّهُ قَالَ فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُطِيقُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَىَّ قُلْتُ أُطِيقُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَصُمْ صَوْمَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ قُلْتُ وَمَا صَوْمُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ قَالَ نِصْفُ الدَّهْرِ

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered his house and said, "O Abdullah ibn Amr, did I not inform you that you should dedicate yourself to praying at night and fasting during the day?" He replied, "Indeed, I do." The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is sufficient for you not to say, 'I do it,' but rather, fast three days every month, for every good deed is multiplied ten times, as if you have fasted the entire year." Abdullah said, "I could handle more than that." The Prophet ﷺ said, "It is sufficient for you to fast three days every week." Abdullah said, "I could handle more than that." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The most just fast in the sight of Allah is the fast of Prophet David, who used to fast half the year." Then he said, "You have rights over yourself, and your family has rights over you." Abdullah used to observe that fast until old age and weakness overtook him, and he would say, "I wish I had followed the permission of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ rather than my own desires. It is dearer to me than my family and wealth."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ بَيْتَهُ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَكَلَّفُ قِيَامَ اللَّيْلِ وَصِيَامَ النَّهَارِ؟ قَالَ إِنِّي لَأَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ حَسْبَكَ وَلَا أَقُولُ افْعَلْ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ الْحَسَنَةُ عَشْرُ أَمْثَالِهَا فَكَأَنَّكَ قَدْ صُمْتَ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ قَالَ فَغَلَّظْتُ فَغُلِّظَ عَلَيَّ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ قُوَّةً مِنْ ذَلِكَ قَالَ إِنَّ مِنْ حَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَ فَغَلَّظْتُ فَغُلِّظَ عَلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ بِي قُوَّةً فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ عِنْدَ اللهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ نِصْفُ الدَّهْرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقٌّ وَلِأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقٌّ قَالَ فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ يَصُومُ ذَلِكَ الصِّيَامَ حَتَّى إِذَا أَدْرَكَهُ السِّنُّ وَالضَّعْفُ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَأَنْ أَكُونَ قَبِلْتُ رُخْصَةَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي

[AI] To me, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Did I not inform you that you fast during the day and stand in prayer at night?" I said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "So do not act otherwise. Sleep, stand, fast, and break your fast. For your body has rights upon you, and your eyes have rights upon you, and your wife has rights upon you. And I give you the choice to fast three days in every month, for indeed, every good deed is rewarded ten times its like. Thus, this will be fasting for the whole year." So I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I find strength." He said, "Fast three days from each month." I said, "I am capable of more." He said, "Fast the fasting of the Prophet David and do not exceed it." I said, "What was the fasting of the Prophet David?" He said, "Half of the year."

لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ» قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ «فَلَا تَفْعَلْ نَمْ وَقُمْ وَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ فَإِنَّ لِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنِّي مُخَيِّرُكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّ بِكُلِّ حَسَنَةٍ عَشَرَةُ أَمْثَالِهَا فَإِذَا ذَلِكَ صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ» فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ «صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ» قَالَ فَشَدَدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ «صُمْ صِيَامَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ وَلَا تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ» قُلْتُ فَمَا صِيَامُ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ؟ قَالَ «نِصْفُ الدَّهْرِ»

Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me and said, "Have I not been informed that you offer prayer all the night and fast the whole day?" I said, "Yes." He said, "Do not do so; Offer prayer at night and also sleep; Fast for a few days and give up fasting for a few days because your body has a right on you, and your eye has a right on you, and your guest has a right on you, and your wife has a right on you. I hope that you will have a long life, and it is sufficient for you to fast for three days a month as the reward of a good deed, is multiplied ten times, that means, as if you fasted the whole year." I insisted (on fasting more) so I was given a hard instruction. I said, "I can do more than that (fasting)" The Prophet said, "Fast three days every week." But as I insisted (on fasting more) so I was burdened. I said, "I can fast more than that." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Fast as Allah's prophet David used to fast." I said, "How was the fasting of the prophet David?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "One half of a year (i.e. he used to fast on alternate days). ' (Using translation from Bukhārī 6134)

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَلَمْ أُخْبَرْ أَنَّكَ تَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ؟» قُلْتُ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ قَالَ «فَلَا تَفْعَلْ صُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَنَمْ وَقُمْ فَإِنَّ لِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِجَسَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ لِزَوْجَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَإِنَّ بِحَسْبِكَ أَنْ تَصُومَ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا فَإِذَا ذَلِكَ صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ» فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ «فَصُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ» فَشَدَّدْتُ فَشُدِّدَ عَلَيَّ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنِّي أَجِدُ قُوَّةً قَالَ «فَصُمْ صِيَامَ نَبِيِّ اللهِ دَاوُدَ وَلَا تَزِدْ عَلَيْهِ» قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ وَمَا صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ قَالَ «صِيَامُ نِصْفِ الدَّهْرِ»