Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Hazrat Rifa‘ah bin Rafi‘ radi Allahu anhu participated in the Battle of Badr, and his esteemed father, Hazrat Rafi‘ radi Allahu anhu, was present at the Pledge of ‘Aqabah. Sometimes, a discussion would arise between father and son as to which of them was superior. Hazrat Rafi‘ radi Allahu anhu’s position was that the Pledge of the Second ‘Aqabah was the superior deed, because this pledge was the cause of the propagation of Islam and the success of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; in other words, it was the foundation of Islam. Meanwhile, his son, Hazrat Rifa‘ah radi Allahu anhu, would say that participation in the Battle of Badr was the superior deed, because there is an explicit statement from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam regarding it. This is Allah’s grace; He bestows it upon whom He wills. (Fath al-Bari: 7/390)
2.
In any case, in this discussion, Hazrat Rifa‘ah radi Allahu anhu was in the right, because he had the statement of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and there was no room for ijtihad (independent reasoning) or conjecture in it, whereas his father’s position was based on ijtihad.
3.
Although the Pledge of ‘Aqabah is the foundation for the propagation of Islam, sometimes a branch surpasses its root, just as at times a student surpasses his teacher in knowledge and virtue.