Sahih Muslim Book - 13, Hadith - 2740

وَحَدَّثَنِى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِى عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ أَوْسٍ أَخْبَرَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ - رضى الله عنهما - أَنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- قَالَ « أَحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللَّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ نِصْفَ الدَّهْرِ وَأَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَلاَةُ دَاوُدَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ - كَانَ يَرْقُدُ شَطْرَ اللَّيْلِ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ ثُمَّ يَرْقُدُ آخِرَهُ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ ». قَالَ قُلْتُ لِعَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ أَعَمْرُو بْنُ أَوْسٍ كَانَ يَقُولُ يَقُومُ ثُلُثَ اللَّيْلِ بَعْدَ شَطْرِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ.

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin Al-’As [may Allah be pleased with them] that the prophet (SAW) said: “The dearest of fasting to Allah is the fast of Dawud. He fasted alternate days all his life. And the dearest of prayer to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, is the prayer of Dawud. He used to sleep for half the night, then he would get up and pray, then he would sleep for the last part, and he prayed for one third of the night after (sleeping for) half of it.” I (Ibn Juraij, a narrator) said to ‘Amr bin Dinar: “Did ‘Amr bin Aws say: ‘He prayed for one third of the night after (sleeping for) half of it?’ He said: ‘Yes.”’