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سنن دارمي
Darimi
من كتاب الصومFrom the Book of Fasting
باب في صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ:Chapter: Fasting Like Prophet Dawud
Hadith 1790
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو يَعْنِي ابْنَ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، يَرْفَعُهُ قَالَ: "أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا، وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلَاةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَلَاةُ دَاوُدَ، كَانَ يُصَلِّي نِصْفًا، وَيَنَامُ ثُلُثًا، وَيُسَبِّحُ سُدُسًا" . قَالَ أَبُو مُحَمَّد: هَذَا اللَّفْظُ الْأَخِيرُ غَلَطٌ أَوْ خَطَأٌ، إِنَّمَا هُوَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيُصَلِّي ثُلُثَهُ، وَيُسَبِّحُ تَسْبِيحَةً.
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated in a marfu’ (attributed to the Prophet) tradition that the most beloved fast to Allah is the fast of Dawud (peace be upon him); he would fast one day and break the fast the next day. And the most beloved prayer to Allah (of the night prayers) is the prayer of Dawud (peace be upon him); he would pray for half the night, sleep for one third, and recite tasbih for one sixth of the night. Imam Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This last sentence is incorrect; the correct version is that he would sleep for half the night, pray for one third, and recite tasbih for one sixth.
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadith 1789)
Here, the relevant point is the fast of Dawud (alayhis salam), who would fast one day and not fast the next day, and this is the most excellent method. Whoever has the ability can do so; if one does not have the strength, it is not obligatory. Fasting is a form of worship that is extremely beloved to Allah Ta’ala, regarding which there is a hadith qudsi: «اَلصَّوْمُ لِيْ وَ أَنَا أَجْزِيْ بِهِ» (Translation: Fasting is for Me and I alone will give its reward), and this includes both obligatory and supererogatory (nafl) fasts.
It is narrated in the Sahihayn and the Sunan regarding Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (radi Allahu anhuma) that he used to fast every day. When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to know of this, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) guided him towards the fast of Dawud and said: There is no fast better than this, because fasting every day may lead to shortcomings in fulfilling other rights.
Secondly, this above hadith is about standing in prayer at night (qiyam al-layl), and in this too, the practice of Dawud (alayhis salam) is worthy of following. (The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also had the same method: if the night is twelve hours, then sleep for the first six hours, spend four hours in worship (prayer), and two hours in tasbih and tahlil or two hours in rest. This was the method of Dawud (alayhis salam).
«(واللّٰه اعلم وعلمه أتم)»
Here, the relevant point is the fast of Dawud (alayhis salam), who would fast one day and not fast the next day, and this is the most excellent method. Whoever has the ability can do so; if one does not have the strength, it is not obligatory. Fasting is a form of worship that is extremely beloved to Allah Ta’ala, regarding which there is a hadith qudsi: «اَلصَّوْمُ لِيْ وَ أَنَا أَجْزِيْ بِهِ» (Translation: Fasting is for Me and I alone will give its reward), and this includes both obligatory and supererogatory (nafl) fasts.
It is narrated in the Sahihayn and the Sunan regarding Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (radi Allahu anhuma) that he used to fast every day. When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) came to know of this, he (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) guided him towards the fast of Dawud and said: There is no fast better than this, because fasting every day may lead to shortcomings in fulfilling other rights.
Secondly, this above hadith is about standing in prayer at night (qiyam al-layl), and in this too, the practice of Dawud (alayhis salam) is worthy of following. (The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) also had the same method: if the night is twelve hours, then sleep for the first six hours, spend four hours in worship (prayer), and two hours in tasbih and tahlil or two hours in rest. This was the method of Dawud (alayhis salam).
«(واللّٰه اعلم وعلمه أتم)»
