Hadith 246

Sahih Muslim

Book 13: The Book of Fasting

Chapter 35

Prohibition of Fasting for a lifetime for the one who will be harmed by that or who will neglect other duties, or does not break his fast on the two 'Ids or during the days of At-Tashriq; It is better to fast alternate days

بَاب النَّهْيِ عَنْ صَوْمِ الدَّهْرِ لِمَنْ تَضَرَّرَ بِهِ أَوْ فَوَّتَ بِهِ حَقًّا أَوْ لَمْ يُفْطِرْ الْعِيدَيْنِ وَالتَّشْرِيقَ وَبَيَانِ تَفْضِيلِ صَوْمِ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارِ يَوْمٍ

Sahih Muslim 1159l
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو، بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَوْسٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، - رضى الله عنهما - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ ‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ أَعَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ كَانَ يَقُولُ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ ‏.‏
"‏ أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ - كَانَ يَرْقُدُ شَطْرَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يَرْقُدُ آخِرَهُ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ ‏"
'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al-'As reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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 b. Dinar whether 'Amr b. Aus said that he stood for prayer one-third of the night after midnight. He said: Yes.