Persisting in a good deed

It was narrated that Umm Salamah said:
“By the One Who took his ﷺ soul, he did not die until most of his prayers were offered sitting down. And the most beloved of deeds to him was a righteous deed which a person persists in doing, even if it is something small.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَتْ : وَالَّذِي ذَهَبَ بِنَفْسِهِ ﷺ مَا مَاتَ حَتَّى كَانَ أَكْثَرُ صَلاَتِهِ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ وَكَانَ أَحَبَّ الأَعْمَالِ إِلَيْهِ، الْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ الَّذِي يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ الْعَبْدُ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسِيرًا .

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:
“There was a woman with me, and the Prophet ﷺ entered upon me and said: ‘Who is that?’ I said: ‘So-and-so; she does not sleep,’” – she mentioned her excessive praying. “The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘Keep quiet. You should do what you are able to, for by Allah, Allah does not get tired (of giving reward) but you get tired.’” She said: “The most beloved of religious deed to him was that in which a person persists.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ : كَانَتْ عِنْدِي امْرَأَةٌ فَدَخَلَ عَلَىَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ : " مَنْ هَذِهِ " . قُلْتُ : فُلاَنَةُ . لاَ تَنَامُ - تَذْكُرُ مِنْ صَلاَحِهَا - فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ : " مَهْ عَلَيْكُمْ بِمَا تُطِيقُونَ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ يَمَلُّ اللَّهُ حَتَّى تَمَلُّوا " . قَالَتْ : وَكَانَ أَحَبَّ الدِّينِ إِلَيْهِ الَّذِي يَدُومُ عَلَيْهِ صَاحِبُهُ .

It was narrated that Hanzalah Tamimi Al-Usaiyidi, the scribe, said:
“We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and we spoke of Paradise and Hell until it was as if we could see them. Then I got up and went to my family and children, and I laughed and played (with them). Then I remembered how we had been, and I went out and met Abu Bakr, and said: ‘I have become a hypocrite!’ Abu Bakr said: ‘We all do that.’” So Hanzalah went and mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ, who said: “O Hanzalah, if you were (always) as you are with me, the angels would shake hands with you in your beds and in your streets. O Hanzalah, there is a time for this and a time for that.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ الْكَاتِبِ التَّمِيمِيِّ الأُسَيِّدِيِّ، قَالَ : كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرْنَا الْجَنَّةَ وَالنَّارَ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ الْعَيْنِ فَقُمْتُ إِلَى أَهْلِي وَوَلَدِي فَضَحِكْتُ وَلَعِبْتُ . قَالَ : فَذَكَرْتُ الَّذِي كُنَّا فِيهِ فَخَرَجْتُ فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَقُلْتُ : نَافَقْتُ، نَافَقْتُ . فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ : إِنَّا لَنَفْعَلُهُ . فَذَهَبَ حَنْظَلَةُ فَذَكَرَهُ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ : " يَا حَنْظَلَةُ لَوْ كُنْتُمْ كَمَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِي لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ - أَوْ عَلَى طُرُقِكُمْ - يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةٌ وَسَاعَةٌ " .

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.”

حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجُ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ : " اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْعَمَلِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ " .