It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, who says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to me: O Bilal! Tell me about the most hopeful deed of yours, which, in your opinion, is the most beneficial in Islam, because I heard the sound of your shoes ahead of me in Paradise last night? Sayyiduna Bilal, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I have not done any such deed which, in my view, is the most hopeful in terms of benefit in Islam, except (this deed that) whenever I perform ablution at any hour of the night or day, I offer as much prayer with that ablution as Allah Almighty has destined for me.

Sayyiduna Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that one day when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up in the morning, he called Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked: O Bilal! By which deed have you preceded me to Paradise? Because whenever I entered Paradise, I heard the sound of your footsteps ahead of me. Even last night when I entered Paradise, I heard the sound of your footsteps. (Then the narrator mentioned the hadith which was specific to Sayyiduna Umar ibn Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him.) The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him): By which deed have you preceded me to Paradise? Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whenever I become impure, I perform ablution and then offer two rak‘ahs (units of prayer). Upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It is because of this deed (that you have preceded me to Paradise).