Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, which deed is the most virtuous?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "To perform the prayer at its earliest time." (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) In narrating these words, 'to perform the prayer at its earliest time,' Uthman bin Umar is unique among the narrators.