Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad-zuhd:93ʿAbdullāh from my father > Ibn Faḍl > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Saʾalt

"I asked 'Aishah and Umm Salamah about which deed did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like to do most. They said: 'Whatever he could do regularly, even if it was little.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2856)  

الزهد لأحمد:٩٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبِي أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ فَضْلٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ وَأُمَّ سَلَمَةَ ؓ مَا أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَتَا «مَا دَامَ وَإِنْ قَلَّ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad
bukhari:1132ʿAbdān from my father > Shuʿbah > Ashʿath from my father > Masrūq > Saʾalt

I asked ʿAisha which deed was most loved by the Prophet. She said, "A deed done continuously." I further asked, "When did he used to get up (in the night for the prayer)." She said, "He used to get up on hearing the crowing of a cock."  

البخاري:١١٣٢حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدَانُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ أَشْعَثَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَسْرُوقًا قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتِ الدَّائِمُ قُلْتُ مَتَى كَانَ يَقُومُ قَالَتْ يَقُومُ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

bukhari:6461ʿAbdān from my father > Shuʿbah > Ashʿath from my father > Masrūq > Saʾalt

I asked ʿAisha "What deed was the most beloved to the Prophet?" She said, "The regular constant one." I said, "At what time did he use to get up at night (for the Tahajjud night prayer)?' She said, "He used to get up on hearing (the crowing of) the cock (the last third of the night).  

البخاري:٦٤٦١حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبِي عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ أَشْعَثَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَسْرُوقًا قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ ؓ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتِ الدَّائِمُ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَأَىَّ حِينٍ كَانَ يَقُومُ قَالَتْ كَانَ يَقُومُ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

tirmidhi:2856Abū Hishām al-Rifāʿī > Ibn Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ

"I asked 'Aishah and Umm Salamah about which deed did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like to do most. They said: 'Whatever he could do regularly, even if it was little.'"  

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Gharīb in this particular context.
الترمذي:٢٨٥٦حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هِشَامٍ الرِّفَاعِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ

سُئِلَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَأُمُّ سَلَمَةَ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتَا مَا دِيمَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ قَلَّ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ
ahmad:26479Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ

"I asked 'Aishah and Umm Salamah about which deed did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like to do most. They said: 'Whatever he could do regularly, even if it was little.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2856)   

أحمد:٢٦٤٧٩حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ

سُئِلَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَأُمُّ سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَعْجَبَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺقَالَتْ مَا دَامَ عَلَيْهِ وَإِنْ قَلَّ  

ahmad:24043Muḥammad b. Fuḍayl > al-Aʿmash > Abū Ṣāliḥ

"I asked 'Aishah and Umm Salamah about which deed did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like to do most. They said: 'Whatever he could do regularly, even if it was little.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2856)   

أحمد:٢٤٠٤٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ قَالَ

سُئِلَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَأُمُّ سَلَمَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَعْجَبَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ؟ قَالَتَا مَا دَامَ وَإِنْ قَلَّ