Which deed is best, and which religion is most beloved to Allah?

Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: A man submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! What is meant by Islam?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That your heart submits, and that the (other) Muslims are safe from your tongue and hand." The man asked: "Which Islam is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith." He asked: "What is meant by faith?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That you believe in Allah Almighty, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the resurrection after death." The man asked: "Which faith is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Emigration (hijrah)." He asked: "What is meant by emigration?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That you dissociate yourself from evil." He asked: "Which emigration is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jihad." He asked: "What is meant by jihad?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That when you face the disbelievers, you fight them." He asked: "Which jihad is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That in which the horse's legs are hamstrung and the man's blood is shed."
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: This narration will come later in full in the chapter on the virtue of Hajj.
Ahmad recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded something similar in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir; the narrators of this narration are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) states: Once we were walking along with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when he heard some people saying: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Belief in Allah Almighty, jihad in the path of Allah, and an accepted (mabrur) Hajj." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) heard someone in the valley saying in a loud voice: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah Almighty, and that Sayyiduna Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said: "I too bear witness to this, and I also bear witness that whoever bears witness to this declaration will be free from associating partners with Allah (shirk)."
Ahmad and al-Tabarani (in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir) recorded it, and the narrators of Ahmad have been declared trustworthy.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "O Prophet of Allah! Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in Allah Almighty, affirming Him as true, striving (jihad) in His path, and an accepted (mabrur) Hajj." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah! I want something easier than that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Gentleness (or generosity) and patience." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah! I want something even easier than that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whatever Allah Almighty has decreed concerning you, do not find fault with Allah Almighty regarding it."
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah.

Sayyiduna Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which deed is most excellent?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Faith in Allah Almighty and affirming Him as true, striving (jihad) in His path, and an accepted (mabrur) Hajj." The man said: "O Messenger of Allah! You (peace and blessings be upon him) have told me many things." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Speaking gently, feeding others, being lenient, and good character." The man said: "I want just one thing." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Go! And do not find fault with Allah Almighty regarding your own self."
Imam Ahmad recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator, Rishdin, who is da'if (weak).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: It was said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Which religion is most beloved to Allah Almighty?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one that stands firm on the straight path and is easy (al-hanifiyyah al-samhah)."
Imam Ahmad recorded it, as did Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir and al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and Imam al-Bazzar. Its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Ishaq, who is a mudallis (one who conceals a gap in the chain), and he did not explicitly state that he heard it directly.

Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most excellent faith is that you know (that is, are certain) that wherever you are, Allah Almighty is with you." Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and he said: Uthman bin Kathir is alone in narrating it.
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: I have not seen anyone mention him with either a declaration of trustworthiness or a criticism.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The religion most beloved to Allah Almighty is the one that stands firm on the straight path and is easy."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Ibrahim al-Ghifari, who is munkar al-hadith (his narrations are rejected).

Umar bin Abd al-Aziz narrates from his father; the narrator says: I think he also mentioned his grandfather; (he narrates:) "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: Which Islam is most excellent? He said: That which stands firm on the straight path and is easy."
Imam al-Bazzar recorded it, and its chain contains a narrator, Abd al-Aziz bin Aban, who is a kadhdhab (liar) and a fabricator of narrations.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reports the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "The noblest faith is that people are safe from you; the noblest Islam is that people are safe from your tongue and your hand; the noblest emigration (hijrah) is that you abandon evil deeds; and the noblest jihad is that you are killed and your horse's legs are cut."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir, and he says: A narrator named Munabbih is alone in narrating it.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best of your religion (that is, of your deeds) is that which is easiest."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Saghir, and he says: Isma'il bin Yazid is alone in narrating it.

Sayyiduna Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reports concerning the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "He (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked: Which Islam is most excellent? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That of the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe. It was asked: Which jihad is most excellent? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: That in which a man's horse has its legs cut and the man's blood is shed. It was asked: Which prayer is most excellent? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The one with long standing." Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators have been declared trustworthy.
(Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Other hadiths of this kind will come later in the chapters on the virtue of jihad and the virtue of Hajj.

Sayyiduna Amr bin Abasah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and asked: "Who follows you in this matter (that is, the religion)?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A free man and a slave." I asked: "O Messenger of Allah, what is meant by Islam?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Pure speech and feeding others." I asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What is meant by faith?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Patience and gentleness (or generosity)." I asked: "Which Islam is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That of the one from whose tongue and hand the Muslims are safe." I asked: "Which faith is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Good character." I asked: "Which prayer is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one with long standing." I asked: "Which emigration is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That you abandon evil." I asked: "Which jihad is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "That in which a man's horse has its legs cut and his (that is, the man's) blood is shed." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: The "Sahih" contains this part of it: "Who follows you in this matter (that is, the religion)? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: A free man and a slave."
Imam Ibn Majah recorded this part of the narration: "Which jihad is best?"
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain contains a narrator, Shahr bin Hawshab.

Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about the most excellent faith, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(It means) that you love (someone) for the sake of Allah Almighty and hate for His sake, and that you keep your tongue busy with the remembrance of Allah Almighty." He asked: "And what else, O Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(It means) that you love for people what you love for yourself, and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself, and that you speak good or else remain silent." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Imam al-Tirmidhi recorded part of this narration without this context.
Imam al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its chain contains a narrator, Ibn Lahi'ah.