It was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that I observe fast successively and pray during the whole night. He sent for me or I met him and he (the Holy Prophet) said: It has been conveyed to me that you observe fast continuously and do not break it and pray during the whole night. Don't do that. for there is share for your eyes, share for your own self, share for your family; so observe fast and break it, pray and sleep and observe fast for one day during the ten days, and there is a reward for you (for other) nine (days besides the tenth day of the fast). I said: Apostle of Allah, I find myself more powerful than this. He said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Amr) said: Apostle of Allah, how did David observe fast? He (the Holy Prophet) said: He used to fast one day and break it on the other day, and he did not run (from the battlefield) as he encountered (the enemy). He said: Apostle of Allah, who can guarantee this for me (will I also encounter the enemy dauntlessly)? 'Ata', the narrator of the hadith, said: I do not know how there (crept in) the matter of perpetual fast. The Apostle of Allah (ﷺ), however, said: He who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all; he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all, he who observed perpetual fast did not fast at all.

This hadith has been narrated by Ibn Juraij with the same chain of transmitters. Imam Muslim has narrated this hadith on the authority of Abu 'Abbas al-Sa'ib b. Farrukh and he was a trustworthy and reliable (narrator) among the people of Mecca.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: 'Abdullah b. Amr, you fast continuously and stand in prayer for the whole of night. If you do like that, your eyes would be highly strained and would sink and lose sight. There is no (reward for) fasting (for him) who fasts perpetually. Fasting for three days during the month is like fasting, the whole of the month. I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Observe the fast of David. He used to fast one day and break (the other) day. And he did not turn back in the encounter.

" And you would become exhausted."

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: I have been informed that you stand for prayer the whole of night and fast during the day. I said: I do that, whereupon he said: If you did that you in fact strained heavily your eyes and made yourself weak. There is a right of your eyes (upon you) and a right of your self (upon you) and a right of your family (upon you). Stand for prayer and sleep. observe fasts and break (them).

With Allah the best fasting is that of David and the best prayer is that of David (peace be upon him) for he slept half of the night and stood for prayer for the third of it and (then) slept the sixth part of it and he observed fast one day and broke on the other.

The best fasting in the eye of Allah is that of David, for he fasted for half of the age (he fasted on alternate days), and the best prayer in the eye of Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, is that of David (peace be upon him), for he slept for half of the night and then stood for prayer and then again slept. He prayed for one-third of the night after midnight. He (the narrator) said: I asked 'Amr b. Dinar whether 'Amr b. Aus said that he stood for prayer one-third of the night after midnight. He said: Yes.

I went along with your father to 'Abdullah b. Amr, and he narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was informed about my fasting and he came to me, and I placed a leather cushion filled with fibre of date-palms for him. He sat down upon the ground and there was that cushion between me and him, and he said to me: Does three days' fasting in a month not suffice you? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) five (not suffice for you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts) He said: (Would) seven (fasts) not suffice you? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He (the Holy Prophet) then said: (Would) nine (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts). He said: (Would) eleven (fasts not suffice you)? I said: Messenger of Allah, (I am capable of observing more fasts than these). Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: There is no fasting (better than) the fasting of David which comprises half of the age, fasting a day and not fasting a day.

Observe fast for a day and there would be reward for you for the rest (of the days). He said: I am capable of doing more than this. He then said: Observe fast for two days, and there would be reward for you for the rest (of the days). He said: I am capable of doing more than this. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Observe fast for three days and there would be reward for you for the rest of the days. He said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Observe fast for four days and there would be reward for you for the rest of the days. He said: I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon he said: Then observe fast (which is the) best in the eye of Allah, the fast of David (peace be upon him) ; he used to observe fast one day and break on the other day.

Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). Observe fast one day and break it (on the other) day. And he ('Abdullah b. 'Amr) used to say: Would that I had availed myself of this concession.

Yes I said to her: Which were (the particular) days of the month on which he observed fast? She said: He was not particular about the days of the month on which to observe fast.

O, so and so, did you observe fast in the middle of the month? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: When you break it, then observe fast for two days.

How do you fast? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) felt annoyed. When 'Umar (Allah be pleased with him) noticed his annoyance, he said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life, and with Muhammad as our Prophet. We seek refuge with Allah from the anger of Allah and that of His Messenger. 'Umar kept on repeating these words till his (the Prophet's) anger calmed down. Then Umar said: Messenger of Allah, what is the position of one who fasts perpetually? He (ﷺ) said: He neither fasted nor broke it, or he said: He did not fast and he did not break it. 'Umar said: What about him who fasts for two days and does not fast one day? He (ﷺ) said: Is anyone capable of doing that? He ('Umar) said: What is the position of him who fasts for a day and doesn't fast on the other day? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: That is the fast of David (peace be upon him). He ('Umar) said: What about him who fasts one day and doesn't fast for two days. Thereupon he (the Messenger of Allah) said: I wish I were given the strength to do that. Thereafter he (ﷺ) said: Fasting three days every month and that of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fasting. I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of 'Arafa may atone for the sins of the preceding and the coming years, and I seek from Allah that fasting on the day of Ashura may atone for the sins of the preceding year.

We are pleased with Allah as the Lord, with Islam as our Code of Life, with Muhammad as the Messenger and with our pledge (to you for willing and cheerful submission) as a (sacred) commitment. He was then asked about perpetual fasting, whereupon he said: He neither fasted nor did he break it, or he did not fast and he did not break it. He was then asked about fasting for two days and breaking one day. He (the Holy Prophet) said: And who has strength enough to do it? He was asked about fasting for a day and breaking for two days, whereupon he said: May Allah bestow upon us strength to do it. He was then asked about fasting for a day and breaking on the other, whereupon he said: That is the fasting of my brother David (peace be upon him). He was then asked about fasting on Monday, whereupon he said: It was the day on which I was born. on which I was commissioned with prophethood or revelation was sent to me, (and he further) said: Three days' fasting every month and of the whole of Ramadan every year is a perpetual fast. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Arafa (9th of Dhu'I-Hijja), whereupon he said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year and the coming year. He was asked about fasting on the day of 'Ashura (10th of Muharram), whereupon be said: It expiates the sins of the preceding year. (Imam Muslim said that in this hadith there is a) narration of Imam Shu'ba that he was asked about fasting on Monday and Thursday, but we (Imam Muslim) did not mention Thursday for we found it as an error (in reporting).

This hadith has been narrated by Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters.

This hadith has been narrated by Ghailan b. Jarir with the same chain of transmitters, but with one variation, that there has been made mention of Monday and not of Thursday.

It is (the day) when I was born and revelation was sent down to me.

Did you fast in the middle of Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: If you did not observe fast, then you should observe fast for two days.

Did you observe any fast in the middle of this month (Sha'ban)? He said: No. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Fast for two days instead of (one fast) when you have completed (fasts of) Ramadan.

Did you observe fast in the middle of this month. i. e. Sha'ban? He said: No. Thereupon he said to him: When it is the end of Ramadan, then observe fast for one day or two (Shu'ba had some doubt about it) but he said: I think that he has said: two days.