The Messenger of Allah was asked about the best of deeds. He observed: Belief in Allah. He (the inquirer) said: What next? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Jihad (struggle to the utmost) in the cause of Allah. He (the inquirer) again said: What next? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Pilgrimage accepted into the grace of the Lord. In the. tradition narrated on the authority of Muhammad b. Ja'far (the words are) that he (the Holy Prophet) said: Belief in Allah and His Messenger. Muhammad b. Rafi and 'Abd b. Humaid, 'Abdur-Razzaq and Ma'mar and Zuhri have narrated a hadith like this on the authority of the same chain of transmitters.  

سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ  

I said: Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Belief in Allah and Jihad in His cause. I again asked: Who is the slave whose emancipation is the best? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: One who is valuable for his master and whose price is high. I said: If I can't afford to do it? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Help an artisan or make anything for the unskilled (labourer). I (Abu Dharr) said: Messenger of Allah, you see that I am helpless in doing some of these deeds. He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Desist from doing mischief to the people. That is the charity of your person on your behalf.  

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ الإِيمَانُ بِاللَّهِ وَالْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِهِ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَىُّ الرِّقَابِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ أَنْفَسُهَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِهَا وَأَكْثَرُهَا ثَمَنًا قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ أَفْعَلْ قَالَ تُعِينُ صَانِعًا أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لأَخْرَقَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ ضَعُفْتُ عَنْ بَعْضِ الْعَمَلِ قَالَ تَكُفُّ شَرَّكَ عَنِ النَّاسِ فَإِنَّهَا صَدَقَةٌ مِنْكَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ  

Muhammad b. Abu Rafi' narrated the hadith on the authority of Abu Dharr with a slight difference.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِنَحْوِهِ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ فَتُعِينُ الصَّانِعَ أَوْ تَصْنَعُ لأَخْرَقَ  

Prayer at its appointed hour. I (again) said: Then what? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Kindness to the parents. I (again) said: Then what? He replied: Earnest endeavour (Jihad) in the cause of Allah. And I would have not ceased asking more questions but out of regard (for his feelings).  

سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ لِوَقْتِهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَمَا تَرَكْتُ أَسْتَزِيدُهُ إِلاَّ إِرْعَاءً عَلَيْهِ  

I said: Messenger of Allah, which of the deeds (takes one) nearer to Paradise? He (the Holy Prophet) replied: Prayer at its proper time, I said: What next, Messenger of Allah? He replied: Kindness to the parents. I said: What next? He replied: Jihad in the cause of Allah.  

قُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى مَوَاقِيتِهَا قُلْتُ وَمَاذَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قُلْتُ وَمَاذَا يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ  

The owner of this house told me that he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: Which of the deeds are liked by Allah? He (the Holy Prophet) observed: Prayer at its proper time. I (again) said: What next? He replied: Then goodness to the parents. I (again) said: What then? He replied: Then Jihad in the cause of Allah. He ('Abdullah) said: This is what I was told (by the Holy Prophet). Had I questioned further, he would have made additions for me.  

حَدَّثَنِي صَاحِبُ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىُّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الصَّلاَةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَىٌّ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي بِهِنَّ وَلَوِ اسْتَزَدْتُهُ لَزَادَنِي  

This hadith has been transmitted by Muhammad b. Bashshar, Muhammad b. Ja'far Shu'ba with this chain of narrators, with the addition that he pointed towards the house of 'Abdullah, but he did not mention his name for us.  

حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ وَزَادَ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَمَا سَمَّاهُ لَنَا  

The best of' the deeds or deed is the (observance of) prayer at its proper time and kindness to the parents.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَفْضَلُ الأَعْمَالِ أَوِ الْعَمَلِ الصَّلاَةُ لِوَقْتِهَا وَبِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ