Abdullah bin Yazid and I set out to visit Abu Salama. We sent a messenger ahead to him, and he came out to us. There was a mosque by the door of his house, so we waited in the mosque until he came out to us.He said, "If you wish, you may come inside, and if you wish, you may sit out here."We said, "No, we will sit here. Narrate to us."He said, Abdullah bin Amr bin As told me, "I used to fast every day and recite the entire Quran every night. Either my practice was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ or he sent for me, so I came to him.He said to me, 'Have I not been told that you fast every day and recite the Quran every night?'I said, 'Yes, Prophet of Allah, but I intended only good by that.'He said, 'It is enough for you to fast three days each month.'I said, 'Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that.'He said, 'Your wife has a right over you, your visitor has a right over you, and your body has a right over you. So fast as Dawud the Prophet of Allah ﷺ fasted, for he was the most devoted of people in worship.'I said, 'Prophet of Allah, what was the fast of Dawud?'He said, 'He would fast one day and break his fast the next. And recite the Quran once every month.'I said, 'Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that.'He said, 'Then recite it once every twenty days.'I said, 'Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that.'He said, 'Then recite it once every ten days.'I said, 'Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that.'He said, 'Then recite it once every seven days, and do not go beyond that, for your wife has a right over you, your visitor has a right over you, and your body has a right over you.'I pushed myself hard, so he was strict with me. The Prophet ﷺ said to me, 'You do not know, perhaps you will live a long life.'"He said, "I came back to what the Prophet ﷺ had told me, and when I grew old, I wished I had accepted the concession of the Prophet of Allah ﷺ."
انطلقت أنا وعبد الله بن يزيد حتى نأتي أبا سلمة، فأرسلنا إليه رسولا، فخرج علينا وإذا عند باب داره مسجد قال: فكنا في المسجد حتى خرج إلينا. فقال: إن تشاءوا أن تدخلوا وإن تشاءوا أن تقعدوا ها هنا. قال: فقلنا: لا بل نقعد ها هنا فحدثنا، قال: حدثني عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص رضي الله عنهما. قال: كنت أصوم الدهر وأقرأ القرآن كل ليلة قال: فإما ذكرت للنبي ﷺ وإما أرسل إلى فأتيته، فقال لي: ألم أخبر أنك تصوم الدهر، وتقرأ القرآن كل ليلة؟… فقلت: بلى يا نبي الله ولم أرد بذلك إلا الخير. قال: فإن بحسبك أن تصوم من كل شهر ثلاثة أيام. قلت: يا نبي الله إني أطيق أفضل من ذلك. قال: فإن لزوجك عليك حقا، ولزورك عليك حقا، ولجسدك عليك حقا. قال: فصم صوم داود نبي الله ﷺ، فإنه كان أعبد الناس. قال: قلت: يا نبي الله، وما صوم داود؟ قال: كان يصوم يوما ويفطر يوما. قال: واقرأ القرآن في كل شهر. قال: قلت: يا نبي الله، إني أطيق أفضل من ذلك. قال: فاقرأه في كل عشرين. قال: قلت: يا نبي الله إني أطيق أفضل من ذلك. قال: فاقرأه في كل عشر. قال: قلت: يا نبي الله، إني أطيق أفضل من ذلك. قال: فاقرأه في كل سبع ولا تزد على ذلك؛ فإن لزوجك عليك حقا، ولزورك عليك حقا، ولجسدك عليك حقا. قال: فشددت، فشدد على. قال: وقال لي النبي ﷺ: إنك لا تدري لعلك يطول بك عمر. قال: قصرت إلى الذي قال لي النبي ﷺ، فلما كبرت وددت أني كنت قبلت رحصة نبي الله ﷺ.
Bukhari related it in the Book of Fasting (1975), and Muslim in the Book of Fasting (1109:182), both through Yahya bin Abu Kathir, with this chain. The wording given is that of Muslim, while Bukhari's wording is abridged.Bukhari also related it (1976), and Muslim (1109:181), both through Zuhri, who said, "Saeed bin Musayab and Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman informed me, from Abdullah bin Amr bin As," with similar wording.