Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which deed is the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Performing the prayer at the beginning of its time." I said: "Then which?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Striving (jihad) in the path of Allah." I said: "Then which?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Being dutiful to parents." Imam al-Hakim says: This hadith with these words is known through the narration of Bundar, and Bundar is a precise and firm hafiz.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which deed is the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Performing the prayer at the beginning of its time." These words are established by the agreement of Bundar and al-Hasan bin Mukram, and it is sahih (authentic) on the condition of the two Shaykhs, but they did not record it.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which deeds are the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Performing the prayer at the beginning of its time." I asked: "Then what?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Striving (jihad) in the path of Allah." I asked: "Then what?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Being good to parents." (Ibn Mas'ud says:) Had I asked for more, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would have told me more. Imam al-Hakim says: Hajjaj bin al-Sha'ir is a reliable hafiz, and Imam Muslim used his teacher Ali bin Hafs as evidence.

It is narrated from one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which deeds are the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Performing the prayer at the beginning of its time." Imam al-Hakim says: The narrator here is Abdullah bin Mas'ud, because all the narrators agree on this from Abu Amr al-Shaybani.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best of deeds is to offer the prayer at the beginning of its time." Imam al-Hakim says that although Ya'qub bin al-Walid is not of the standard of this book, there is a supporting narration (shahid) for it.

Sayyiduna Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: "Which deed is the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To offer the prayer at the beginning of its time."

Sayyidah Umm Farwah (may Allah be pleased with her), who had pledged allegiance to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and was among the first women to emigrate, narrates that she heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about the best of deeds, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To offer the prayer at the beginning of its time." This hadith has been narrated by al-Layth bin Sa'd, al-Mu'tamir bin Sulayman, Qaza'ah bin Suwayd and Muhammad bin Bishr al-Abdi through Ubaydullah bin Umar.

A similar narration is reported from Sayyidah Umm Farwah (may Allah be pleased with her).

Imam Yahya bin Ma'in says that Abdullah bin Umar narrated from al-Qasim bin Ghannam, whereas his brother Ubaydullah did not narrate from him.

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) never once offered the prayer at its last time until his death. This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the condition of Imam Bukhari and Imam Muslim.