49 - Chapter: The Effort of the One of Little Means

2526 - 'Abd al-Wahhab ibn 'Abd al-Hakam informed us, from Hajjaj, who said: Ibn Jurayj told me: 'Uthman ibn Abi Sulayman informed me, from 'Ali al-Azdi, from 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr, from 'Abdullah ibn Hubshi al-Khath'ami, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked: "Which deeds are most virtuous?" He said: "Faith without doubt, jihad without treachery, and an accepted Hajj." It was said: "Then which prayer is most virtuous?" He said: "Length of standing in devotion." It was said: "Then which charity is most virtuous?" He said: "The effort of the one of little means." It was said: "Then which emigration is most virtuous?" He said: "The one who emigrates from what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden." It was said: "Then which jihad is most virtuous?" He said: "The one who strives against the polytheists with his wealth and his self." It was said: "Then which death is most noble?" He said: "The one whose blood is spilled and whose horse is wounded."

============================================

And it was also recorded with similar wording by Ahmad (8961), (8962), and (9433); al-Bukhari (1410) and (7430 - as a suspended comment); Muslim (1014): (64) via the path of Abu Salih al-Samman; Ahmad (7634), (9245), and (10088); al-Tirmidhi (662) via the path of al-Qasim ibn Muhammad; Ahmad (10979) via the path of Abu Salama ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf; and Ibn Hibban (3318) via the path of Abu Sa'id, the freed slave of al-Mahri — all four of them from Abu Hurayra, with the same meaning.

His saying: "his horse is wounded" — meaning the young of the horse, for raising it usually requires great care and attention. And "al-fasil" is the young of the she-camel. The word "or" indicates doubt from the narrator, or it indicates variety. And Allah Most High knows best.

This was stated by al-Sindi.

(1) After it in (M): "upon him."
(2) In the margins of (K) and (H): "more virtuous." (variant reading)
(3) A sound hadith with its supporting witnesses; its narrators are trustworthy except for 'Ali al-Azdi — who is Ibn 'Abdullah al-Bariqi — for he is truthful and good in hadith. Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar strengthened his chain in "al-Isaba" (entry on 'Abdullah ibn Hubshi). Hajjaj is Ibn Muhammad al-Missisi, and Ibn Jurayj is 'Abd al-Malik ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, and he explicitly stated that he heard it, thus removing any suspicion of tadlis. It is in "al-Sunan al-Kubra" under number (2317).