Hadith #489

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (رضي الله عنهما) — via 'Ubayda ibn Humayd Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, from 'Ata' ibn al-Sa'ib, from his father, from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr — that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: 'O 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr, in how many [days] do you complete the Quran?' He said: 'I said: In one day and one night.' He said: 'He said to me: Sleep and pray; sleep and read it in every month.' I kept negotiating with him and he with me, until he said: 'Read it in every seven nights.' [Abu 'Abd al-Rahman (Ahmad's father) said: 'I did not understand — a word dropped away from me.'] Then: 'I said: I fast and never break fast.' He said: 'Fast and break fast, and fast three days of every month.' I kept negotiating with him and he with me, until he said: 'Fast the most beloved fast to Allah (عز وجل) — the fast of Dawud: fast one day and break fast one day.' And 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr would say: 'Would that I had accepted the concession of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — that is more beloved to me than red camels.' [The narrator Ubayda was uncertain about that last statement.]