22/77. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 2396 — More Effort, Less Reward
Mention of fasting more or less, and mentioning the differences reported in the narration Of 'Abdullah Bin 'Amr About That
Fasting Reward Hadith: More Effort and Less Reward
Sunan an-Nasai : 2396
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 2396
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، ح وَأَخْبَرَنِي زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ شُعَيْبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " صُمْ يَوْمًا وَلَكَ أَجْرُ عَشْرَةٍ " . فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي . فَقَالَ " صُمْ يَوْمَيْنِ وَلَكَ أَجْرُ تِسْعَةٍ " . قُلْتُ زِدْنِي . قَالَ " صُمْ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ وَلَكَ أَجْرُ ثَمَانِيَةٍ " . قَالَ ثَابِتٌ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِمُطَرِّفٍ فَقَالَ مَا أُرَاهُ إِلاَّ يَزْدَادُ فِي الْعَمَلِ وَيَنْقُصُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ وَاللَّفْظُ لِمُحَمَّدٍ .
Shuaib bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
It was narrated from Shuaib bin 'Abdullah bin 'Amr that his father said: "The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'Fast one day and you will have the reward of ten.' I said: 'Let me fast more.' He said: 'Fast two days and you will have the reward of nine.' I said: 'Let me fast more than that.' He said: 'Fast three days and you will have the reward of eight." (One of the narrators) Thabit said: "I mentioned that to Mutarrif and he said: 'I only see that he is making more effort for less reward.'"
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 2396In-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 307English translation : Vol. 3, Book 22, Hadith 2398
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 2396
This fasting reward hadith reports that the Messenger of Allah told Abdullah to fast one day and he would have the reward of ten. Abdullah asked for more. The Prophet then said to fast two days and have the reward of nine. Abdullah asked again, and he was told to fast three days and have the reward of eight. The narration ends with Thabit saying he mentioned this to Mutarrif, who understood that the person was increasing in work while decreasing in reward. The wording is striking because it challenges the simple idea that more days always means more reward in this type of voluntary fasting. The hadith teaches careful thinking about worship, effort, and prophetic direction.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet linked certain fasting amounts with stated reward.
- As more fasting was requested, the stated reward became less in this report.
- Mutarrif noted that effort increased while reward decreased.
- More physical effort is not always shown as better in the narration.
