The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "Abdullah, have I not been informed that you fast all day and stand in prayer all night?"I said, "Yes, Messenger of Allah."He said, "Do not do that. Fast and break your fast, pray and sleep, for your body has a right over you, your eye has a right over you, your wife has a right over you, and your guest has a right over you. It is enough for you to fast three days each month, for every good deed is rewarded tenfold, and that is equal to fasting the entire year."But I pressed for more, so he made it harder upon me.I said, "Messenger of Allah, I find that I have strength."He said, "Then fast the fast of the Prophet of Allah Dawud , and do not exceed it."I asked, "What was the fast of the Prophet of Allah Dawud
?"He replied, "Half of the year."After Abdullah grew old, he used to say, "If only I had accepted the concession of the Prophet ﷺ."
قال لي رسول الله ﷺ: يا عبد الله، ألم أخبر أنك تصوم النهار وتقوم الليل؟ فقلت: بلي يا رسول الله. قال: فلا تفعل، صم وأفطر، وقم ونم؛ فإن لجسدك عليك حقا، وإن لعينك عليك حقا، وإن لزوجك عليك حقا، وإن لزورك عليك حقا، وإن بحسبك أن تصوم كل شهر ثلاثة أيام، فإن لك بكل حسنة عشر أمثالها، فإن ذلك صيام الدهر كله، فشددت فشدد علي، قلت: يا رسول الله إني أجد قوة. قال: فصم صيام نبي الله داود عليه السلام ولا تزد عليه. قلت: وما كان صيام نبي الله داود عليه السلام؟ قال: نصف الدهر. فكان عبد الله يقول بعد ما كبر: يا ليتني قبلت رخصة النبي ﷺ.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Fasting (1975), and Muslim in the Book of Fasting (1159:182), both from the hadith of Yahya bin Abu Kathir, "Abu Salama bin Abdul-Rahman told me, Abdullah bin Amr bin As told me," and he mentioned it. The wording given is Bukhari's. Muslim's wording is close to it, with the addition, "And recite the Quran once every month." He said, I said, "O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that." He said, "Then recite it once every twenty days." He said, I said, "O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that." He said, "Then recite it once every ten days." He said, I said, "O Prophet of Allah, I am able to do more than that." He said, "Then recite it once every seven days, and do not exceed that, for your wife has a right over you, your visitor has a right over you, and your body has a right over you."As for his saying "your visitor," zuwwar is the plural of zair (visitor), like rukban is the plural of rakib (rider), meaning your guest. This is because part of the right of a guest is that you eat with him, so if you are fasting, how would you eat with him? The general meaning encompasses both the guest and the visitor, but what is intended here specifically is the guest who stays with you.