Lu'lu' wal-Marjan

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that it was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that, by Allah, I will fast during the day for my entire life and spend the whole night in worship. I (Abdullah) submitted (to the Messenger of Allah), “May my parents be sacrificed for you, yes, I have said this.” He said, “But you do not have the strength for this. Therefore, fast and also refrain from fasting, worship and also sleep, and keep fasts for three days in a month. The reward of good deeds is tenfold, so it will be as if you have fasted for your whole life.” I said, “I have the strength for more than this.” He said, “Then fast one day and leave fasting for two days.” I again said, “I have the strength for more than this.” He said, “Alright, then fast one day and do not fast the next day, for this was the fast of Dawud (David), peace be upon him, and this is the best way of fasting.” I still said the same, “I have the strength for more than this.” But this time he said, “There is no fast better than this.”

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Abdullah, is it true what has reached me that you fast during the day and pray all night?" I replied, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "Do not do so. Fast sometimes and leave fasting sometimes. Pray and also sleep, for your body has a right over you, your eyes have a right over you, your wife has a right over you, and those who visit you have a right over you. It is sufficient for you to fast three days every month, for every good deed is rewarded tenfold, and in this way, it will be as if you have fasted for a lifetime." But I insisted on more, so I was made to do more. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, I find strength within myself." He said, "Then observe the fast of Allah's Prophet Dawud (David), and do not go beyond that." I asked, "What was the fast of Allah's Prophet Dawud (David)?" He replied, "He would fast one day and not fast the next." Later, when he became old, Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say, "I wish I had accepted the concession given by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin As that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: Complete the recitation of the Qur'an once every month. I said: I have the strength to do more. He said: Then complete it in seven nights, but do not do more than that.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to me: O Abdullah, do not be like so-and-so; he used to worship at night and then abandoned it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to know that I observe fasts continuously and spend the whole night in worship. Now, either the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent someone to me or I myself met him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Is it true what I have heard, that you fast continuously without missing a day and spend the whole night in prayer?” (He said:) “Observe the fast and also leave it (i.e., do not fast every day), worship and also sleep, for your eyes have a right over you, your soul has a right over you, and your wife has a right over you.” Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I have the strength for more than this.” He (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Then fast like Dawud (peace be upon him).” He asked, “And how was that?” He (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “Dawud (peace be upon him) used to fast one day and leave fasting the next day. And when he faced the enemy, he would not turn his back.” Upon this, Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “O Messenger of Allah, how can it be possible for me to turn my back?” Hazrat Ata (the narrator of the hadith) said, “I do not remember how the fast of a lifetime (sawm ad-dahr) was mentioned in this hadith (but I do remember this much that) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Whoever observes the fast of a lifetime, there is no fast for him,’ and he said this twice.”

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin Al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to me: "Do you fast continuously and stand in prayer all night?" I replied in the affirmative. He said: "If you continue doing so, your eyes will sink in and you will become extremely weak. This is not fasting, that a person fasts every day of his life (without a break). Fasting three days (in every month) is equal to fasting for a lifetime." I said upon this, "I have the strength for more than that." He said: "Then observe the fast of Dawud (peace be upon him); he used to fast one day and leave fasting the next day, and when he faced the enemy, he would not turn his back."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: Of all the prayers, the most beloved prayer to Allah is the prayer of Dawud (peace be upon him), and of all the fasts, the most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of Dawud (peace be upon him). He would sleep for half the night, then spend a third of it in prayer, and then sleep again for a sixth of it. Similarly, he would fast one day and break his fast the next day.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that news reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about my fasting (that I fast continuously). He came to me, and I spread a mat filled with palm fibers for him, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sat on the ground, and the cushion was placed between me and him. He said, "Is it not sufficient for you to fast three days in every month?" I said, "O Messenger of Allah, (increase it a little more for me)." He said, "Alright, fast five days." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, (increase it a little more)." He said, "Alright, six days." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, (increase it a little more, I have strength for more than this)." He said, "Alright, nine days." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, (increase it a little more)." He said, "Alright, eleven days." Finally, he said, "No method (in the Shari'ah) is permissible except the way of the fasts of Dawud (peace be upon him), that is, to fast one day and leave one day, in half the days of life."