أَخْبَرَنَا الرَّبِيعُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنْ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ وَأَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ ذُکِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ يَقُولُ لَأَقُومَنَّ اللَّيْلَ وَلَأَصُومَنَّ النَّهَارَ مَا عِشْتُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْتَ الَّذِي تَقُولُ ذَلِکَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ قَدْ قُلْتُهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِنَّکَ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُ ذَلِکَ فَصُمْ وَأَفْطِرْ وَنَمْ وَقُمْ وَصُمْ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَإِنَّ الْحَسَنَةَ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا وَذَلِکَ مِثْلُ صِيَامِ الدَّهْرِ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ صُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَصُمْ يَوْمًا وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا وَذَلِکَ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ وَهُوَ أَعْدَلُ الصِّيَامِ قُلْتُ فَإِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو لَأَنْ أَکُونَ قَبِلْتُ الثَّلَاثَةَ الْأَيَّامَ الَّتِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَهْلِي وَمَالِي
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2398
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr said: “My father got me married to a woman and he came to visit her and said: ‘What do you think of your husband?’ She said: ‘What a wonderful man he is. He does not sleep at night and he does not break his fast during the day.’ He got upset with me and said: ‘I got you married to a woman from among the Muslims and you have neglected her.’ I did not pay attention to what he said because of my energy and love of worship. News of that reached the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم and he said: ‘But I stand (in prayer) and I sleep, I fast and I break my fast. So stand (in prayer) and sleep, fast and break your fast.’ He said: ‘Fast three days of every month.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ He said: ‘Observe the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him: fast one day and break your fast one day.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ He said: ‘Read the Qur’an (once) every month.’ Then it ended up being every fifteen days, and I still said: ‘I am able to do more than that.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020