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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
hakim:1512 – Abū al-Naḍr al-Faqīh > ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd And Muḥammad b. Ayyūb > Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Hammām > Qatādah > Saʿīd

Sa’id reported Sa’d came to the Prophet (SWAS) and asked him Which sadaqah do you like most? He replied Water. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1679)  

الحاكم:١٥١٢ – أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو النَّضْرِ الْفَقِيهُ ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ قَالَا ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ ثنا هَمَّامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ

أَنَّ سَعْدًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكَ؟ فَقَالَ «الْمَاءُ»  

هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ الشَّيْخَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Ḥākim
abudawud:1679 – Muḥammad b. Kathīr > Hammām > Qatādah > Saʿīd

Sa’id reported Sa’d came to the Prophet (SWAS) and asked him Which sadaqah do you like most? He replied Water.  

أبو داود:١٦٧٩ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا هَمَّامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ

أَنَّ سَعْدًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَىُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ الْمَاءُ  

hakim:1511 – Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb al-Ḥāfiẓ > ʿAlī b. al-Ḥasan al-Hilālī > Muḥammad b. ʿArʿarah > Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Saʿīd b. al-Musayyib And al-Ḥasan

[Machine] Saad ibn Ubadah came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked, "Which charity do you find most admirable?" The Prophet replied, "Providing water." This was followed by Hammam quoting Qatadah.  

الحاكم:١٥١١ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ الْحَافِظُ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْهِلَالِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرْعَرَةَ ثنا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيِّبِ وَالْحَسَنِ

عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَادَةَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَيُّ الصَّدَقَةِ أَعْجَبُ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ «سَقْيُ الْمَاءِ» تَابَعَهُ هَمَّامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ