أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اقْرَأْ الْقُرْآنَ فِي شَهْرٍ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکَ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّی قَالَ فِي خَمْسَةِ أَيَّامٍ وَقَالَ صُمْ ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ الشَّهْرِ قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَکْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِکِ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَطْلُبُ إِلَيْهِ حَتَّی قَالَ صُمْ أَحَبَّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَی اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ کَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2406
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr said: “The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said to me: ‘Read the Qur’an in a month.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ And I kept asking him until he said: ‘In five days.’ And he said: ‘Fast three days a month.’ I said: ‘I am able to do more than that.’ and I kept asking him until he said: ‘Observe the most beloved of fasting to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, the fast of Dawud. 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