22/78. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 2399 — Daily Fasting Exhaustion
Fasting ten days of the month, and the Different Wording Reported by the Narrators in the Narration Of 'Abdullah Bin 'Amr About It
Daily Fasting and Exhaustion: A Hadith on Balance
Sunan an-Nasai : 2399
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 2399
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي حَبِيبُ بْنُ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الْعَبَّاسِ، - هُوَ الشَّاعِرُ - يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو، قَالَ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ الدَّهْرَ وَتَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ وَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ هَجَمَتِ الْعَيْنُ وَنَفِهَتْ لَهُ النَّفْسُ لاَ صَامَ مَنْ صَامَ الأَبَدَ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ ثَلاَثَةُ أَيَّامٍ مِنَ الشَّهْرِ صَوْمُ الدَّهْرِ كُلِّهِ " . قُلْتُ إِنِّي أُطِيقُ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ " صُمْ صَوْمَ دَاوُدَ كَانَ يَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا وَلاَ يَفِرُّ إِذَا لاَقَى " .
'Abdullah bin 'Amr Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'O 'Abdullah bin 'Amr, you fast all the time and you do stand (in prayer) at night, but if you do that your eyes will become sunken and you will become exhausted. There is no fast for one who fasts every day of his life. Fasting a lifetime means fasting three days each month,
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 2399In-book reference : Book 22, Hadith 310English translation : Vol. 3, Book 22, Hadith 2401
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 2399
This hadith about daily fasting and exhaustion gives direct advice to Abdullah bin Amr. The Prophet said that he fasted all the time and stood in prayer at night, but if he continued doing that, his eyes would become sunken and he would become exhausted. He then said there is no fast for one who fasts every day of his life. The hadith explains that fasting a lifetime means fasting three days each month. When Abdullah said he could do more, the Prophet directed him to the Fast of Dawud: fasting one day and breaking one day. The report also says that Dawud did not flee when he met the enemy, as stated in the text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Constant fasting and night prayer can lead to exhaustion as described in the hadith.
- The Prophet said there is no fast for one who fasts every day of life.
- Three monthly fasts are called fasting for a lifetime.
- The Fast of Dawud is fasting one day and breaking one day.
