22/76. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 2389 — Worship and Family Balance
Fasting one day, and not fasting one day, and the difference in the wording of the transmitters Of The Narration Of 'Abdullah Bin 'Amr About It
Balanced Worship Hadith: Fasting, Marriage, and the Fast of Dawud
Sunan an-Nasai : 2389
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 2389
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو أَنْكَحَنِي أَبِي امْرَأَةً ذَاتَ حَسَبٍ فَكَانَ يَأْتِيهَا فَيَسْأَلُهَا عَنْ بَعْلِهَا، فَقَالَتْ نِعْمَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ رَجُلٍ لَمْ يَطَأْ لَنَا فِرَاشًا وَلَمْ يُفَتِّشْ لَنَا كَنَفًا مُنْذُ أَتَيْنَاهُ . فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " ائْتِنِي بِهِ " . فَأَتَيْتُهُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ " كَيْفَ تَصُومُ " . قُلْتُ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ . قَالَ " صُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ " . قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ " صُمْ يَوْمَيْنِ وَأَفْطِرْ يَوْمًا " . قَالَ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَفْضَلَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ " صُمْ أَفْضَلَ الصِّيَامِ صِيَامَ دَاوُدَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ وَفِطْرُ يَوْمٍ " .
Mujahid Narrated from:
Abdullah bin 'Amr said to me: My father got me married to a woman from a noble family, and he used to come to her and ask her about her husband. She said: What a wonderful man he is! He never comes to my bed. And he has never approached me since he married me. He mentioned that to the Prophet and he said: Bring him to me. So he brought him with him and (the Prophet) said: How do you fast? I said: "Every day." He said: "Fast three days of every month." I said: "I am able to do better than that." He said: "Fast for two days, and break your fast for one day." He said; "I am able to do better than that". He said: "Observe the best of fasts, the fast of Dawud, peace be upon him: Fasting for one day and breaking the fast for one day." 'Ata said: "someone who heard him told me that Ibn 'Umar (said) that the Prophet said: 'Whoever fasts every day of his life, then he has not fasted."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 2389In-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 300English translation : Vol. 3, Book 22, Hadith 2391
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 2389
This balanced worship hadith tells how Abdullah bin Amr was married, yet his wife said he had not come to the bed or approached her since marriage. When this was mentioned to the Prophet, he called Abdullah and asked how he fasted. Abdullah said he fasted every day. The Prophet first told him to fast three days every week. When Abdullah said he could do more, he was guided through another pattern, until the Prophet told him to observe the best fast, the Fast of Dawud: fasting one day and breaking one day. The hadith shows that devotion is not meant to cancel personal duties. Worship should remain connected to the Prophet’s direction and to real life responsibilities.
What we learn from this hadith
- Personal worship should not lead to neglect of marital life mentioned in the report.
- The Prophet asked about Abdullah’s fasting before guiding him.
- Daily fasting was redirected toward a balanced pattern.
- The Fast of Dawud is described as fasting one day and breaking one day.
