The reason the Prophet did not fast like the fast of Dawud
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
حديث: (The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud) Why did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not choose this for himself?
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud; he would fast one day and break the fast the next) You know that the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had many and varied responsibilities, so he prioritized what the people most needed. For this reason, he encouraged following funeral processions, yet when a funeral procession passed by him, he did not follow it. The Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) always looked at his circumstances in terms of what was most beneficial for the servants of Allah.He used to fast to the point where it was said: He does not break his fast,And he would break his fast until it was said: He does not fast,And he would stand in prayer until it was said: He does not sleep,And he would sleep until it was said: He does not stand in prayer. So he follows what is in the public interest. For this reason, a person should, in his journey to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), follow what is in the public interest, except for obligatory matters. Obligatory matters are necessary, but as for the rest of voluntary acts, such as prayer, charity, Hajj, or 'Umrah, one should look at what is most beneficial. It may be that what is most beneficial for a person is to pray, or it may be that what is better is to take a book and read it.
The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The best of fasting is the fast of Dawud; he would fast one day and break the fast the next) You know that the Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had many and varied responsibilities, so he prioritized what the people most needed. For this reason, he encouraged following funeral processions, yet when a funeral procession passed by him, he did not follow it. The Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) always looked at his circumstances in terms of what was most beneficial for the servants of Allah.He used to fast to the point where it was said: He does not break his fast,And he would break his fast until it was said: He does not fast,And he would stand in prayer until it was said: He does not sleep,And he would sleep until it was said: He does not stand in prayer. So he follows what is in the public interest. For this reason, a person should, in his journey to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), follow what is in the public interest, except for obligatory matters. Obligatory matters are necessary, but as for the rest of voluntary acts, such as prayer, charity, Hajj, or 'Umrah, one should look at what is most beneficial. It may be that what is most beneficial for a person is to pray, or it may be that what is better is to take a book and read it.