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.
حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ بْنُ فَرُّوخَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ الرِّشْكِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي مُعَاذَةُ، الْعَدَوِيَّةُ أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصُومُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ . فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مِنْ أَىِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ كَانَ يَصُومُ قَالَتْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُبَالِي مِنْ أَىِّ أَيَّامِ الشَّهْرِ يَصُومُ .
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.
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.
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي، الْعَلاَءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ، عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ، - رضى الله عنهما - أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ لِرَجُلٍ " هَلْ صُمْتَ مِنْ سُرَرِ هَذَا الشَّهْرِ شَيْئًا " . قَالَ لاَ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَإِذَا أَفْطَرْتَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَصُمْ يَوْمَيْنِ مَكَانَهُ " .
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.