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.
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  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Nasāʾī, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Aḥmad's Zuhd
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  

nasai:1616Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm al-Baṣrī > Bishr > Ibn al-Mufaḍḍal > Shuʿbah > Ashʿath b. Sulaym from his father > Masrūq

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which deed was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'That which was done persistently.' I said: 'At what part of the night did he pray Qiyam?' She said: 'When he heard the rooster.'"  

النسائي:١٦١٦أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْبَصْرِيُّ عَنْ بِشْرٍ هُوَ ابْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتِ الدَّائِمُ قُلْتُ فَأَىُّ اللَّيْلِ كَانَ يَقُومُ قَالَتْ 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:25671Yaḥyá > Sufyān > Ashʿath from his father > Masrūq > ʿĀʾishah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to be impressed by consistent actions. I asked, "Which part of the night would he stand up (in prayer)?" She (his wife, Aisha) said, "When he would hear someone calling out for help."  

أحمد:٢٥٦٧١حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَشْعَثُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُعْجِبُهُ الدَّائِمُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أَيُّ اللَّيْلِ كَانَ يَقُومُ؟ قَالَتْ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

ahmad:25143Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar And Rawḥ > Shuʿbah > al-Ashʿath b. Sulaym from his father > Rūḥ > Ashʿath b. Sulaym > Abāh > Masrūq

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which deed was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'That which was done persistently.' I said: 'At what part of the night did he pray Qiyam?' She said: 'When he heard the rooster.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1616)   

أحمد:٢٥١٤٣حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَرَوْحٌ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنِ الْأَشْعَثِ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ وَقَالَ رُوحٌ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَشْعَثُ بْنُ سُلَيْمٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَاهُ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَتْ الدَّائِمُ قَالَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ فَقُلْتُ فَأَيُّ حِينٍ كَانَ يَقُومُ؟ قَالَتْ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

ahmad:24628Bahz > Shuʿbah > al-Ashʿath b. Sulaym from his father > Masrūq

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which deed was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'That which was done persistently.' I said: 'At what part of the night did he pray Qiyam?' She said: 'When he heard the rooster.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1616)   

أحمد:٢٤٦٢٨حَدَّثَنَا بَهْزٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ الْأَشْعَثِ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَقَالَتْ الدَّائِمُ قُلْتُ فَأَيُّ سَاعَةٍ كَانَ يَقُومُ؟ قَالَتْ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

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  

ahmad:26390Ḥasan b. Mūsá And Ḥusayn b. Muḥammad > Shaybān > al-Ashʿath from his father

[Machine] From Masruq who said: I asked Aisha, "Which action was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ?" She said, "He loved continuous actions." I asked, "So at what time would he pray?" She said, "Whenever he heard the Adhan, he would stand up and pray."  

أحمد:٢٦٣٩٠حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى وَحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ عَنِ الْأَشْعَثِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ

عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَقُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ كَانَ أَعْجَبَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ كَانَ يُحِبُّ الدَّائِمَ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَأَيُّ حِينٍ كَانَ يُصَلِّي؟ قَالَتْ كَانَ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ قَامَ فَصَلَّى  

ذِكْرُ الْوَقْتِ الَّذِي يُوتِرُ فِيهِ الْمَرْءُ بِاللَّيْلِ إِذَا عَقَّبَ تَهَجُّدَهُ بِهِ

ibnhibban:2444al-Faḍl b. al-Ḥubāb > ʿAbdullāh b. Rajāʾ > Isrāʾīl > Ashʿath b. Abū al-Shaʿthāʾ from his father > Masrūq

[Machine] I asked Aisha when the Prophet ﷺ used to perform the Sunnah prayer after Isha. She said, "When he heard the rooster crowing, and he used to persistently perform it even if it was little."  

ابن حبّان:٢٤٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ أَبِي الشَّعْثَاءِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ مَتَى كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُوتِرُ؟ قَالَتْ «إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ يَعْنِي الدِّيكَ وَكَانَ أَحَبَّ الْعَمَلِ إِلَيْهِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ  

nasai-kubra:1318Muḥammad b. Ibrāhīm b. Ṣudrān Baṣrī > Bishr / Ibn al-Mufaḍḍal > Shuʿbah > Ashʿath b. Sulaym from his father > Masrūq

"I said to 'Aishah: 'Which deed was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' She said: 'That which was done persistently.' I said: 'At what part of the night did he pray Qiyam?' She said: 'When he heard the rooster.'" (Using translation from Nasāʾī 1616)  

الكبرى للنسائي:١٣١٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ صُدْرَانَ بَصْرِيٌّ عَنْ بِشْرٍ وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْمُفَضَّلِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَشْعَثَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ أَيُّ الْعَمَلِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَتْ الدَّائِمُ قُلْتُ فَأَيُّ اللَّيْلِ كَانَ يَقُومُ؟ قَالَتْ إِذَا سَمِعَ الصَّارِخَ  

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»