Sahih Muslim Book - 13, Hadith - 2741

وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِى قِلاَبَةَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِى أَبُو الْمَلِيحِ قَالَ دَخَلْتُ مَعَ أَبِيكَ عَلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو فَحَدَّثَنَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- ذُكِرَ لَهُ صَوْمِى فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَأَلْقَيْتُ لَهُ وِسَادَةً مِنْ أَدَمٍ حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ فَجَلَسَ عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَصَارَتِ الْوِسَادَةُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَهُ فَقَالَ لِى « أَمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَهْرٍ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ ». قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ « خَمْسًا ». قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ « سَبْعًا ». قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ « تِسْعًا ». قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ « أَحَدَ عَشَرَ ». قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. فَقَالَ النَّبِىُّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- « لاَ صَوْمَ فَوْقَ صَوْمِ دَاوُدَ شَطْرُ الدَّهْرِ صِيَامُ يَوْمٍ وَإِفْطَارُ يَوْمٍ ».

It was narrated that Abu Qilabah said: “Abu Al-Malih told me: ‘I entered with your father upon ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr, and he narrated to us: ‘Mention of my fasting was made to the Messenger of Allah (SAW), so he entered upon me and I gave him a pillow of leather stuffed with palm fibers, but he sat on the ground and the pillow was left between us. He said to me: “Are not three days of every month sufficient for you?” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!” He said: “Five.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!” He said: “Seven.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!” He said: “Nine.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!” The Prophet (SAW) said: “Eleven.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah (SAW)!” The Prophet (SAW) said: “There is no fast better than the fast of Dawud, half a lifetime; fasting one day and not the next.”