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).  

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

The most beloved action to Messenger of Allah ﷺ was that whose doer did it continuously and regularly.  

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ كَانَ أَحَبُّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِي يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُهُ  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The deeds of anyone of you will not save you ˹from Hellfire˺." They said, "Even you ˹will not be saved by your deeds˺, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He said, "No, even I ˹will not be saved˺ unless and until Allah bestows His Mercy upon me. Therefore, do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and worship Allah in the forenoon and in the afternoon and during a part of the night, and always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course whereby you will reach your goal (Jannah).  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَنْ يُنَجِّيَ أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ۔» قَالُوا: وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «وَلاَ أَنَا، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَةٍ۔ سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَاغْدُوا وَرُوحُوا وَشَىْءٌ مِنَ الدُّلْجَةِ وَالْقَصْدَ الْقَصْدَ تَبْلُغُوا۔»  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately and know that your deeds will not make you enter Paradise, and that the most beloved deed to Allah is the most regular and constant even if it were little."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَاعْلَمُوا أَنْ لَنْ يُدْخِلَ أَحَدَكُمْ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَأَنَّ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ أَدْوَمُهَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَإِنْ قَلَّ  

that she said, "The Prophet ﷺ was asked, 'What deeds are most loved by Allah?'" He said, "The most regular ˹and constant ones˺ of them, even if a few." He added, "˹Hold yourself˺ responsible for ˹only those˺ acts that are within your ability."  

أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ: «أَدْوَمُهَا، وَإِنْ قَلَّ۔» وَقَالَ: «اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ۔»  

I asked ʿAisha, mother of the believers, "O mother of the believers! How were the deeds of the Prophet? Did he use to do extra deeds of worship on special days?" She said, "No, but his deeds were regular and constant, and who among you is able to do what the Prophet ﷺ was able to do (i.e. in worshipping Allah)?"  

سَأَلْتُ أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَائِشَةَ قُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَمَلُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ هَلْ كَانَ يَخُصُّ شَيْئًا مِنَ الأَيَّامِ قَالَتْ لاَ كَانَ عَمَلُهُ دِيمَةً وَأَيُّكُمْ يَسْتَطِيعُ مَا كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَسْتَطِيعُ  

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately, and receive good news because one's good deeds will not make him enter Paradise." They asked, "Even you, O Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He said, "Even I, unless and until Allah bestows His pardon and Mercy on me."  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ سَدِّدُوا وَقَارِبُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا فَإِنَّهُ لاَ يُدْخِلُ أَحَدًا الْجَنَّةَ عَمَلُهُ قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللَّهُ بِمَغْفِرَةٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ قَالَ أَظُنُّهُ عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَقَالَ عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ سَدِّدُوا وَأَبْشِرُوا وَقَالَ مُجَاهِدٌ {قَوْلاً سَدِيدًا} وَسَدَادًا صِدْقًا  

Once Messenger of Allah ﷺ led us in prayer and then (after finishing it) ascended the pulpit and pointed with his hand towards the Qibla of the mosque and said, "While I was leading you in prayer, both Paradise and Hell were displayed in front of me in the direction of this wall. I had never seen a better thing (than Paradise) and a worse thing (than Hell) as I have seen today, I had never seen a better thing and a worse thing as I have seen today."  

سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلَّى لَنَا يَوْمًا الصَّلاَةَ ثُمَّ رَقِيَ الْمِنْبَرَ فَأَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ قِبَلَ قِبْلَةِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ قَدْ أُرِيتُ الآنَ مُنْذُ صَلَّيْتُ لَكُمُ الصَّلاَةَ الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ مُمَثَّلَتَيْنِ فِي قُبُلِ هَذَا الْجِدَارِ فَلَمْ أَرَ كَالْيَوْمِ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ فَلَمْ أَرَ كَالْيَوْمِ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ