Virtues of various methods of observing voluntary fasts

We are pleased with Allah as the Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life, with Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment. He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (the Holy Prophet) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the fasting of my brother David (peace be upon him). He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon be said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year. (Imam Muslim said that in this hadith there is a) narration of Imam Shu'ba that he was asked about fasting on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imam Muslim) did not mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in reporting).  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِهِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ: رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَبِبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعَةً۔

قَالَ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ فَقَالَ: «لاَ صَامَ وَلاَ أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ۔»

قَالَ فَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمَيْنِ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمٍ قَالَ: «وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ؟»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ: «لَيْتَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ قَوَّانَا لِذَلِكَ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمٍ قَالَ: «ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ الاِثْنَيْنِ قَالَ: «ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ، وَيَوْمٌ بُعِثْتُ أَوْ أُنْزِلَ عَلَىَّ فِيهِ۔» قَالَ فَقَالَ: «صَوْمُ ثَلاَثَةٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانَ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ فَقَالَ: «يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ۔»

قَالَ وَسُئِلَ عَنْ صَوْمِ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ فَقَالَ: «يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ۔»  

How do you fast? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ felt annoyed. When 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) noticed his annoyance, he said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life, and with Muhammad as our Prophet. We seek refuge with Allah from the anger of Allah and that of His Messenger. 'Umar kept on repeating these words till his (the Prophet's) anger calmed down. Then Umar said: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who fasts perpetually? He ﷺ said: He neither fasted nor broke it, or he said: He did not fast and he did not break it. 'Umar said: What about him who fasts for two days and does not fast one day? He ﷺ said: Is anyone capable of doing that? He ('Umar) said: What is the position of him who fasts for a day and doesn't fast on the other day? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: That is the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Umar) said: What about him who fasts one day and doesn't fast for two days. Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: I wish I were given the strength to do that. Thereafter he ﷺ said: Fasting three days every month and that of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fasting. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of 'Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.  

رَجُلٌ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ تَصُومُ فَغَضِبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا رَأَى عُمَرُ ؓ غَضَبَهُ قَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا نَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ وَغَضَبِ رَسُولِهِ فَجَعَلَ عُمَرُ ؓ يُرَدِّدُ هَذَا الْكَلاَمَ حَتَّى سَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ بِمَنْ يَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ كُلَّهُ قَالَ لاَ صَامَ وَلاَ أَفْطَرَ أَوْ قَالَ لَمْ يَصُمْ وَلَمْ يُفْطِرْ قَالَ كَيْفَ مَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا قَالَ وَيُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ أَحَدٌ قَالَ كَيْفَ مَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ كَيْفَ مَنْ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي طُوِّقْتُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثٌ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانُ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ فَهَذَا صِيَامُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ صِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ وَالسَّنَةَ الَّتِي بَعْدَهُ وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ  

[Machine] A man asked the Prophet ﷺ about his fasting. He became angry and said, "Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) is satisfied, or he said, 'We are satisfied with Allah as our Lord, Islam as our religion, and Muhammad as our Messenger, and our pledge is a pledge." Then Umar or another man stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah, there is a man who fasts continuously." He said, "He does not fast nor break his fast. What he fasts and what he breaks his fast with is fasting two days and breaking his fast for one day." He said, "Who can endure that?" He said, "He can break his fast for one day and fast for one day." He said, "I wish Allah would strengthen us for that." He said, "Fasting one day and breaking the fast for one day." He said, "What about the fasting of Monday and Thursday?" He said, "That is a day on which I was born and on which revelation was sent down to me." He said, "Fasting three days of each month and Ramadan to Ramadan is the fasting of the whole year, and its breaking of fast." He said, "What about fasting on the day of Arafah?" He said, "It expiates for the previous and coming year." He said, "What about fasting on the day of Ashura?" He said, "It expiates for the previous year."  

أَنَّ رَجُلًا سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنْ صَوْمِهِ؟ فَغَضِبَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيتُ أَوْ قَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللهِ رَبًّا وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا قَالَ وَلَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا قَدْ قَالَ وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا وَبَيْعَتِنَا بَيْعَةً قَالَ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ أَوْ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ رَجُلٌ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ قَالَ لَا صَامَ وَلَا أَفْطَرَ أَوْ مَا صَامَ وَمَا أَفْطَرَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ وَمَنْ يُطِيقُ ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ إِفْطَارُ يَوْمَيْنِ وَصَوْمُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ لَيْتَ اللهَ ﷻ قَوَّانَا لِذَلِكَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ قَالَ ذَاكَ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ قَالَ صَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ 10 وَالْخَمِيسِ؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ يَوْمٌ وُلِدْتُ فِيهِ وَأُنْزِلَ عَلَيَّ فِيهِ قَالَ صَوْمُ ثَلَاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ وَرَمَضَانَ إِلَى رَمَضَانَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ وَإِفْطَارُهُ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَرَفَةَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَالْمَاضِيَةَ وَالْبَاقِيَةَ قَالَ صَوْمُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ؟ قَالَ يُكَفِّرُ السَّنَةَ الْمَاضِيَةَ