Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Men’s deeds are presented on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like mine to be presented when I am fasting.”
‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr b. al-‘As told of God’s messenger saying to him, “Have I not been informed, ‘Abdallah, that you fast during the day and get up at night for prayer?” When he replied that that was so, he said, “Do not do it. Fast and break your fast, get up for prayer and sleep, for you have a duty to your body, your eye, your wife, and your visitors. May he who observe a perpetual fast never fast!* Fasting three days every month is equivalent to a perpetual fast. Fast three days every month and recite the Qur'an every month.” When he replied that he was able to do more than that, he said, “Observe the most excellent fast, that of David, fasting every second day, and recite the Qur’an once every seven nights, but do no more than that.”
* Cf. the similar phrase in the tradition of Abu Qatada (p.434). Some hold that the meaning here is, ‘He who observes a perpetual fast has not fasted.’
