Sahih al-Bukhari
Sahih al-Bukhari 3419
حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَلَمْ أُنَبَّأْ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَتَصُومُ ". فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ. فَقَالَ " فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ هَجَمَتِ الْعَيْنُ وَنَفِهَتِ النَّفْسُ، صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ، فَذَلِكَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ ـ أَوْ كَصَوْمِ الدَّهْرِ ". قُلْتُ إِنِّي أَجِدُ بِي ـ قَالَ مِسْعَرٌ يَعْنِي ـ قُوَّةً. قَالَ " فَصُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ وَكَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا، وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا، وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى ".
ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿAs reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, “Have I not been told that you pray through the night and fast during the day?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “If you do that, your eyesight will weaken and you will become exhausted. Fast three days each month; that is like fasting all the time.” I said, “I have the strength for more.” He said, “Then observe the fast of David, peace be upon him: he fasted one day and did not fast the next, and he did not turn away when he met the enemy.”
Translation notes
The closing clause describes David as steadfast in battle, not fleeing when he met the enemy.