It is narrated from Hazrat Uthman bin Abi Al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Fasting is a shield just like you use a shield in the battlefield. The best fast is three days in every month. And the last advice the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me when sending me to Taif was this: O Uthman! Lead the prayer briefly because among the people there are elderly and those in need. The previous hadith is also narrated through this second chain.