Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
tirmidhi:770Hannād > Wakīʿ > Misʿar And Sufyān > Ḥabīb b. Abū Thābit > Abū al-ʿAbbās > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

The Messenger of Allah said: "The most virtuous fast is the fast of my brother Dawud. He would fast a day, and not fast (the next) day. He would not flee at the time of engagement (with the enemy)."  

الترمذي:٧٧٠حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ وَسُفْيَانَ عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الصَّوْمِ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَأَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ هُوَ الشَّاعِرُ الْمَكِّيُّ الأَعْمَى وَاسْمُهُ السَّائِبُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ قَالَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ أَنْ تَصُومَ يَوْمًا وَتُفْطِرَ يَوْمًا وَيُقَالُ هَذَا هُوَ أَشَدُّ الصِّيَامِ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
nasai:2388And Fīmā Qaraʾ ʿAlaynā Aḥmad b. Manīʿ > Hushaym > Ḥuṣayn Wamughīrah > Mujāhid > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast for one day and break his 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."  

النسائي:٢٣٨٨قَالَ وَفِيمَا قَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا حُصَيْنٌ وَمُغِيرَةُ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

ahmad:2876Abū al-Naḍr > al-Faraj b. Faḍālah > Abū Harim > Ṣadaqah al-Dimashqī > Jāʾ a man > Ibn ʿAbbās Yasʾaluh > al-Ṣiyām

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, "Indeed, one of the best types of fasting is the fasting of my brother Dawud. He used to fast one day and break his fast on the next."  

أحمد:٢٨٧٦حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَرَجُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هَرِمٍ عَنْ صَدَقَةَ الدِّمَشْقِيِّ قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الصِّيَامِ؟ فَقَالَ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ مِنْ أَفْضَلِ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامَ أَخِي دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًاوَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا  

ahmad:6534Wakīʿ > Sufyān Wamisʿar > Ḥabīb b. Abū Thābit > Abū al-ʿAbbās > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast for one day and break his 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." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2388)   

أحمد:٦٥٣٤حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ وَمِسْعَرٌ عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الصَّوْمِ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى  

ahmad:6789Wakīʿ > Sufyān > Ḥabīb b. Abū Thābit > Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Makkī > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

The Messenger of Allah said: "The most virtuous fast is the fast of my brother Dawud. He would fast a day, and not fast (the next) day. He would not flee at the time of engagement (with the enemy)." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 770)  

أحمد:٦٧٨٩حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ الْمَكِّيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الصَّوْمِ صَوْمُ أَخِي دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلَا يَفِرُّ إِذَا لَاقَى  

nasai-kubra:2709And Fīmā Qaraʾ ʿAlaynā Aḥmad b. Manīʿ > Hushaym > Ḥuṣayn Wamughīrah > Mujāhid > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

"The Messenger of Allah said: "The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him. He used to fast for one day and break his 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." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2388)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٧٠٩قَالَ وَفِيمَا قَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا حُصَيْنٌ وَمُغِيرَةُ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا»  

suyuti:3791a

The Messenger of Allah said: "The most virtuous fast is the fast of my brother Dawud. He would fast a day, and not fast (the next) day. He would not flee at the time of engagement (with the enemy)." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 770)   

السيوطي:٣٧٩١a

"أفْضَلُ الصومِ: صومُ أخي داودَ، كان يصوم يومًا، ويُفْطِرُ يومًا، ولا يَفِرُّ إذا لاقَى".  

[ت] الترمذي حسن صحيح، [ن] النسائي وابن جرير عن ابن عمرو
suyuti:3792a

The Messenger of Allah said: "The most virtuous fast is the fast of my brother Dawud. He would fast a day, and not fast (the next) day. He would not flee at the time of engagement (with the enemy)." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 770)   

السيوطي:٣٧٩٢a

"أفْضَلُ الصوم: صومُ أخي داود، كان يَصُومُ يومًا، ويُفطرُ يومًا".  

[عق] العقيلى في الضعفاء عن أبي هريرة