The Book of Fasting (Kitab Al-Sawm)

Muslim :: Book 6 : Hadith 2588

Yahya reported: I and 'Abdullah b. 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 b. al-'As (Allah be pleased with them) 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'in every night) was mentioned to the Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) or 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, 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 mouth. I said: Apostle of Allah, 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 (peace be upon him), for he was the best worshipper of Allah. I said: Apostle of Allah, 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, 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 b. 'As) said: I was hard to myself and thus I was put to hardship. The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) 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 (may peace be upon him) had told me. When I grew old I wished I had availed myself of the conces- sion (granted by) the Apostle of Allah (may-peace be upon him). This hadith has been narrated by Yahya b. 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, David? He said: Half of the age (observing fast on alternate days for the whole life). And in the hadith no mention has been made of the recital of the Qur'an, and he did not say: Your visitor has a right upon you, but (instead) he said: Your son has a right upon you.