'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'As reported that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) was informed that he could stand up for (prayer) throughout the night and observe fast every day so long as he lived. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: Is it you who said this? I said to him: Messenger of Allah, it is I who said that. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) may peace be upon him) said: You are not capable enough to do so. Observe fast and break it; sleep and stand for prayer, and observe fast for three days during the month; for every good is multiplied ten times and this is like fasting for ever. I said: Messenger of Allah. I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon he said: Fast one day and do not fast for the next two days. I said: Messenger of Allah, I have the strength to do more than that. The Holy Prophet ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , said: Fast one day and break on the other day. That is known as the fasting of David (peace be upon him) and that is the best fasting. I said: I am capable of doing more than this. Thereupon the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: There is nothing better than this. 'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) said: Had I accepted the three days (fasting during every month) as the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had said, it would have been more dear to me than my family and my property.

Yahya reported: I and 'Abdullah bin Yazid set out till we came to Abu Salama. We sent a messenger to him (in his house in order to inform him about our arrival) and he came to us. There was a mosque near the door of his house, and we were in that mosque, till he came out to us. He said: If you like you may enter (the house) and, if you like, you may sit here (in the mosque). We said: We would rather sit here and (you) relate to us. He (Yahya) then narrated that 'Abdullah b Amr bin al-'As (RA) told him: I used to observe fast uninterruptedly and recited the (whole of the) Qur'an every night. It (the uninterrupted fasting and recital of the Qur'an every night) was mentioned to the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) so he sent for me, and I went to him and he said to me: I have been informed that you fast continuously and recite (the whole of the Qur'an) every night. I said: Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , it is right, but I covet thereby nothing but good, whereupon he said: It suffices for you that you should observe fast for three days during every month. I said: Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , I am capable of doing more than this. He said: Your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your body has a right upon you; so observe the fast of David, the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) (peace be upon him), for he was the best worshipper of Allah. I said: Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , what is the fast of David? He said: He used to fast one day and did not fast the other day. He (also) said: Recite the Qur'an during every month. I said: Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite it in twenty days; recite it in ten days. I said: I am capable of doing more than this, whereupon he said: Recite it every week, and do not exceed beyond this, for your wife has a right upon you, your visitor has a right upon you, your body has a right upon you. He ('Amr bin 'As) said: I was hard to myself and thus I was put to hardship. The Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had told me: 'You do not know you may live long (thus and bear the hardships for a long time), and I accepted that which the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had told me. When I grew old I wished I had availed myself of the concession (granted by) the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) .

This hadith has been narrated by Yahya bin Abu Kathir with the same chain of transmitters and he made this addition after these words: During every month, (fasting) for three days, there is for you ten times for every good and that is perpetual fasting (for three days would bring a reward for full thirty days). I said: What is the fast of the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , David? He said: Half of the age (observing fast on alternate days for the whole

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) reported: The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said to me: Recite the whole of the Qur'an during every month. I said: I find power (to recite it) in a shorter period. He said: Then recite it in twenty nights. I said: I find power (to recite it in a shorter period even than this), whereupon he said: Then recite it in seven (nights) and do not exceed beyond it.

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'As (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said: 'Abdullah, don't be like so and so who observed prayer during the whole night and then abandoned it (altogether).

Abdu'llah bin 'Amr bin 'As (RA) reported: It was conveyed to the Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) , 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 bin Farrukh and he was a trustworthy and reliable (narrator) among the people of Makkah.

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said to me: 'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) , 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.

This hadith is narrated on the authority of Habib bin Abu Thabit with the same chain of transmitters and he said: "And you would become exhausted."

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported: The Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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).

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as saying: 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.

'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-'As reported Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as saying: 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 bin Dinar whether 'Amr bin Aus said that he stood for prayer one-third of the night after midnight. He said: Yes.

Abu Qatadah (RA) reported that Abu al Malih informed me: I went along with your father to 'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA), and he narrated to us that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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 Apostle of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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.

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) had said to him: 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.

'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) said to me! 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, it has been conveyed to me that you observe fast during the day and stand in prayer during the whole night. Don't do that, for your body has a share of its own in you, your eye has a share of its own in you, your wife has a share of her own in you. Observe fast and break it too. Fast for three days in every month and that is a perpetual fasting. I said! Messenger of Allah, I have got strength enough (to do more than this), whereupon he said: Then observe the fast of David (peace be upon him). Observe fast one day and break it (on the other) day. And he ('Abdullah bin 'Amr) used to say: Would that I had availed myself of this concession.