Ibn Babawayh has narrated through authentic chains of narrators from Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) that one day the Holy Prophet (S) asked his companions: Which one of you fasts all the year around? Salman said: I, O Messenger of Allah (S). The Prophet asked: Which of you prays the whole night?
Salman said: I, O Messenger of Allah (S). Then the Prophet asked: Which one of you completes the whole Qur’an everyday? Salman said: I, O Messenger of Allah (S). Umar was infuriated at this and he said: This person from Faras thinks that he can be proud on us Quraish? He is a liar. He never fasted most of the days, and sleeps most of the nights and on most days he did not recite the Qur’an.
The Messenger of Allah (S) said: He is like Hakim Luqman, you ask him and he will explain the matter. When Umar asked Salman, he said: As for fasting the year round, the fact is that I fast three days every month and the Almighty Allah says that one who does a good deed, He rewards with ten so it is equal to a whole year. In spite of the fact that I also fast through the month of Shaban and join it to the month of Ramadhan.
Remaining awake in prayer the whole night means that I sleep with ablution since I have heard from the Prophet that one who sleeps with ablution is like one who has prayed the whole night. Completing the Qur’an everyday means that everyday I recite Surah Ikhlas thrice, and I have heard the Prophet say that he said to Amirul Momineen (a.s.): O Ali, you are in my Ummah like Surah Ikhlas, one who recites it once has recited one-third of Qur’an and one who recited it twice, recited two-third of Qur’an and one who recited it thrice is like one who has completed the whole Qur’an.
O Ali, one who befriends you verbally has one-third of faith. One who befriends you with the tongue as well as the heart has achieved two-third of faith. And one who befriends you with the tongue as well as the heart and who helps you with his hands, has achieved complete faith. O Ali, by the one who sent me with truth, if the folks of the earth had loved you like the inmates of the heavens, the Almighty Allah would not have punished anyone with Hell. Umar was dumbfounded as if his mouth was filled with stones.