عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ العَاصِ رَضيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمَا: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَحَبُّ الصَّلاَةِ إِلَى اللّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَلاةُ دَاوُودَ، وَأحَبُّ الصِّيَامِ إِلَى اللّهِ صِيَامُ دَاوُودَ، كَانَ يَنَامُ نِصْفَ اللَّيْلِ وَيَقُومُ ثُلُثَهُ وَيَنَامُ سُدُسَهُ، وَيَصُومُ يَوْمًا وَيُفْطِرُ يَوْمًا» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most beloved prayer to Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) is the prayer of David, and the most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of David. He would sleep half the night, stand [in prayer] a third of it, and sleep a sixth of it; and he would fast one day and break his fast the next." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
أحب الصلاة: أي أرضاها وأكثرها ثوابًا، والمراد صلاة قيام الليل. أحب الصيام: أي التنفل المطلق منه.
"The most beloved prayer": that is, the most pleasing to Him and the most abundant in reward; what is meant is the night prayer. "The most beloved fasting": that is, general voluntary fasting.
الدروس · lessons
كراهة قيام الليل كلّه وصوم الدهر. استحباب أن يكون الصيام والقيام كصيام وقيام نبيّ اللّه داوود عليه السلام. الحثّ على إخفاء أعمال البر ليكون أقرب إلى الإخلاص وأبعد عن الرياء.
The dislikedness (makruh) of standing in prayer the entire night and of fasting continuously throughout the year. The recommendation that one's fasting and night prayer be like the fasting and night prayer of Allah's prophet David (peace be upon him). Encouragement to conceal acts of righteousness so that they may be closer to sincerity and further from ostentation.