My father married me to a woman of noble standing. He used to check on his daughter-in-law, asking her about her husband. She would say, "What an excellent man he is. He has not approached our bed nor inspected our private quarters since we came to him."When this had gone on for a long time, my father mentioned it to the Prophet ﷺ, who said, "Bring him to me." So I met him afterwards, and he asked, "How do you fast?"I said, "Every day."He asked, "And how do you complete the Quran?"I said, "Every night."He said, "Fast three days each month and recite the Quran once each month."I said, "I am able to do more than that."He said, "Then fast three days each week."I said, "I am able to do more than that."He said, "Break your fast for two days and fast one."I said, "I am able to do more than that."He said, "Fast the best of fasts, the fast of Dawud, fasting one day and breaking the fast the next, and recite the Quran once every seven nights."How I wish I had accepted the concession of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for I have grown old and weak. He used to recite a seventh of the Quran to some of his family during the day, and the portion he intended to recite at night he would review during the day so it would be lighter on him at night. When he wished to gather his strength, he would break his fast for several days, count them, and then fast the same number, disliking to leave anything he had practiced when he parted from the Prophet ﷺ.Abu Abdullah said, Some of them said it was every three nights, others every five, but most said every seven.
حدثنا موسى حدثنا أبو عوانة عن مغيرة عن مجاهد
أنكحني أبي امرأة ذات حسب فكان يتعاهد كنته فيسألها عن بعلها فتقول نعم الرجل من رجل لم يطأ لنا فراشا ولم يفتش لنا كنفا منذ أتيناه فلما طال ذلك عليه ذكر للنبي ﷺ فقال القني به فلقيته بعد فقال كيف تصوم قال كل يوم قال وكيف تختم قال كل ليلة قال صم في كل شهر ثلاثة واقرإ القرآن في كل شهر قال قلت أطيق أكثر من ذلك قال صم ثلاثة أيام في الجمعة قلت أطيق أكثر من ذلك قال أفطر يومين وصم يوما قال قلت أطيق أكثر من ذلك قال صم أفضل الصوم صوم داود صيام يوم وإفطار يوم واقرأ في كل سبع ليال مرة فليتني قبلت رخصة رسول الله ﷺ وذاك أني كبرت وضعفت فكان يقرأ على بعض أهله السبع من القرآن بالنهار والذي يقرؤه يعرضه من النهار ليكون أخف عليه بالليل وإذا أراد أن يتقوى أفطر أياما وأحصى وصام مثلهن كراهية أن يترك شيئا فارق النبي ﷺ عليه قال أبو عبد الله وقال بعضهم في ثلاث وفي خمس وأكثرهم على سبع