Narrated Umm Farwah: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Which of the actions is best? He replied: Observing prayer early in its period. Al-Khuzai narrated in his version from his aunt named Umm Farwah who took the oath of allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ: He was questioned.
Hadith Referenceسنن ابي داود / كتاب الصلاة / 426
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح | زبیر علی زئی:صحيح, مشكوة المصابيح (607), وللحديث طريق صحيح عند ابن خزيمة (327) وسنده صحيح
Hadith Takhrij« سنن الترمذی/الصلاة 13(170)، (تحفة الأشراف: 18341)، وقد أخرجہ: مسند احمد (6/375، 374، 440) (صحیح) » (اس کے راوی قاسم مضطرب الحدیث اور عبداللہ بن عمر سیٔ الحفظ ہیں، نیز بعض أمھاتہ مجہول راوی ہیں) لیکن یہ حدیث شواہد کی بنا پر اس باب میں صحیح ہے، عبداللہ بن مسعود رضی اللہ عنہ کی حدیث متفق علیہ (بخاری و مسلم) میں ہے
´Umm Farwah - and she was one of those who gave pledge of allegiance to the Prophet - narrated:` "The Prophet was asked: 'Which deed is the best?' So he said: 'Salat in the beginning of its time.'"
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Commentary: Note: (In the chain of narration, Qasim is a narrator whose narrations are inconsistent, and Abdullah al-Umari is weak, but this hadith is strengthened by supporting evidences. A narration of this meaning from Ibn Mas'ud radi Allahu anhu is present in the Sahihayn, which is coming at number 173 in the author's compilation.)
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 170