Musnad Ishaq

Benefits:
From the aforementioned hadith, the virtue of performing the prayer at its earliest time is established. In some ahadith, faith in Allah is declared the most virtuous deed, and in others, charity is declared the most virtuous deed. The scholars have reconciled these narrations in this way: among physical acts of worship, the most virtuous deed is prayer (salah); among acts of the heart, the most virtuous deed is faith in Allah; among financial acts of worship, the most virtuous deed is charity (sadaqah). Other ahadith establish that for the ‘Isha prayer, it is more virtuous to delay it rather than to perform it at the earliest time, as is narrated from Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha that one night the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam delayed the ‘Isha prayer so much that most of the night had passed. Then he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came out and performed the prayer and said: “This is the time of this prayer. If I did not fear that it would be difficult for my ummah, I would have fixed this as its time.” (Muslim, Kitab al-Masajid wa Mawadi‘ al-Salah, No: 638)