أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ عَنْ أَسْبَاطٍ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّکَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ النَّهَارَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَرَدْتُ بِذَلِکَ إِلَّا الْخَيْرَ قَالَ لَا صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الْأَبَدَ وَلَکِنْ أَدُلُّکَ عَلَی صَوْمِ الدَّهْرِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ صُمْ خَمْسَةَ أَيَّامٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ فَصُمْ عَشْرًا فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ قَالَ صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام کَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2403
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr said: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: ‘I have heard that you stand (in prayer) all ‘light and fast all day.’ I said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, 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: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, I am able to do more than that.’ He said: ‘Fast for five days.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ He said: ‘Fast for ten.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ He said: ‘Observe the fast of Dáwud, peace be upon him; he used to fast one day and not the next.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020