and every dark grief as well.(1)

If you wish, I can tell you about the fast of his son Solomon: he would fast three days at the beginning of each month, three days in its middle, and three days at its end—opening the month with fasting, continuing it with fasting, and concluding it with fasting.

If you wish, I can inform you about the fast of the son of the chaste virgin, Jesus son of Mary. He fasted perpetually, lived on barley, and wore a rough garment of hair. He ate whatever he found and asked not about what he lacked. He had no child whose death could grieve him and no house that could fall into ruin. Wherever night overtook him, he would stand with one foot upon the other(2) and pray until dawn. He was a skilled archer who never missed the game he aimed at, and he would pass by the assemblies of the Children of Israel and take care of their needs.

If you wish, I can tell you about the fast of his mother, Mary daughter of ʿImrān: she used to fast one day(3) and eat on the next two.

And if you wish, I can inform you about the fast of the Arab, unlettered Prophet, Muḥammad ﷺ: he used to fast three days of every month and would say, “That is the fast of a lifetime.”(4)

Imām Aḥmad has narrated, through Abū al-Naḍr, from Faraj ibn Faḍālah, from Abū Haram, from Ṣadaqah, from Ibn ʿAbbās—raised to the Prophet—concerning the fast of David.(5)

A mention(6) of the span of his life and the manner of his death—peace be upon him

It has already been reported in the traditions about the creation of Adam(7) that when Allah drew forth his progeny from his back and he saw among them the Prophets—peace be upon them—he noticed a radiant man and said, “My Lord, who is this?” He replied, “This is your son David.” He asked, “My Lord, how long is his life?” He said, “Sixty years.” Adam said, “My Lord, increase his lifespan.” He answered, “Only by taking it from your own life.” Adam’s lifespan was one thousand years, so he granted him forty years. When Adam’s appointed term was complete, the Angel of Death came to him. Adam said, “There remain forty years of my life,” having forgotten the portion he had given to his son David. Therefore Allah completed Adam’s life at one thousand years and David’s at one hundred years.

This was narrated by Aḥmad(8) from Ibn ʿAbbās, by al-Tirmidhī—who declared it sound—(9) from Abū Hurayrah, and by Ibn Khuzaymah.(10)