Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ أَبُو غُصْنٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَصُومُ الْأَيَّامَ يَسْرُدُ حَتَّى يُقَالَ لَا يُفْطِرُ وَيُفْطِرُ الْأَيَّامَ حَتَّى لَا يَكَادَ أَنْ يَصُومَ إِلَّا يَوْمَيْنِ مِنْ الْجُمُعَةِ إِنْ كَانَا فِي صِيَامِهِ وَإِلَّا صَامَهُمَا وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَصُومُ مِنْ شَهْرٍ مِنْ الشُّهُورِ مَا يَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ تَصُومُ لَا تَكَادُ أَنْ تُفْطِرَ وَتُفْطِرَ حَتَّى لَا تَكَادَ أَنْ تَصُومَ إِلَّا يَوْمَيْنِ إِنْ دَخَلَا فِي صِيَامِكَ وَإِلَّا صُمْتَهُمَا قَالَ أَيُّ يَوْمَيْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَوْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمُ الْخَمِيسِ قَالَ ذَانِكَ يَوْمَانِ تُعْرَضُ فِيهِمَا الْأَعْمَالُ عَلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُعْرَضَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَلَمْ أَرَكَ تَصُومُ مِنْ شَهْرٍ مِنْ الشُّهُورِ مَا تَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَ ذَاكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ يُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ.
English Translation
Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi told us, Thabit ibn Qays Abu Ghusn told us, Abu Sa'id al-Maqburi told me, Usamah ibn Zayd told me: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to fast continuously until it was said he would not break his fast, and he would break his fast for days until he hardly fasted except two days of the week, if they fell within his fasting, and if not, he would fast them anyway. And he would not fast in any month as much as he fasted in Sha'ban. I said: O Messenger of Allah, you fast so much that you hardly break your fast, and you break your fast so much that you hardly fast except two days, if they fall within your fasting, and if not, you fast them. He said: Which two days? I said: Monday and Thursday. He said: Those are two days on which deeds are presented to the Lord of the worlds, and I like my deeds to be presented while I am fasting. I said: And I have not seen you fast in any month as you fast in Sha'ban. He said: That is a month people neglect, between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which deeds are raised up to the Lord of the worlds, so I like my deeds to be raised up while I am fasting.