Abu Hurayrah is reported to have said: ''My dear friend {the prophet}, Allah's blessings and greetings be upon him, advised me to fast three days each month, to pray two rak'ahs {daily} in the forenoon, and to offer witr prayer {three rakahs or one, nightly} before going to bed''.

'Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-As narrated that the messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: ''Fasting three days of each month is {equivalent to} fasting daily throughout one's life (sawm ad-dahr)''.

(Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Allah confirmed this Hadith in the Holy Quraan Surah 6, verse 160: '' Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit'', which makes one day worth ten {and hence three days worth thirty, making one month}.)

According to Abu Dharr, the messenger of Allah said: '' Sadaqah is due on account of every joint of a person's body, each morning. Now each tasbih (saying Subhan Allah: Glorified is Allah) is sadaqah ; each tahmid (Saying Alhamdolellah: praise be to Allah) is sadaqah; each Tahlilah (saying La Ilaha Illa Allah: there is no God but Allah) is sadaqah; and each takbirah (Allahu Akbar: Allah is greatest) is a sadaqah. Also enjoining good is sadaqah; and forbidding evil is sadaqah. But two rakahas prayed in the afternoon will suffice''.

According e to Abd Allah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) a man asked the prophet (PBUH) about fasting, and he answered: ''Always fast on the 'white days', three days of each month''.

We are told by Jarir that the prophet said: ''Fasting three days a month {amounts to} fasting the whole year. These three days are ''the white days (Ayam al bayd)'': the thirteenth, the fourteenth and the fifteenth of each month''.