The Prophet (peace be upon him) indicated the most beloved of deeds to Allah in the hadiths of Aishah and Abu Hurayrah are of two types:
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Those that are done continuously and persistently, even if they be few.
This was the description of the deeds of the Prophet, and the deeds of his family. He would prohibit the severance of deeds saying to Abdullah Ibn Amr (ra). “Do not be like such-and-such a person who used to pray by night and then left it”
He said, “The supplication of one of you will be answered so long as he is not hasty and impatient, saying, ‘I have supplicated and supplicated but have not been answered,’ so he despairs and abandons the supplication”
Al Hassan said: “When Shaytan looks at you and sees you persistent in your obedience to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, he will do his utmost to deceive you; if he still sees you persistent, he will give up on you and leave. However, if he sees you alternating between this and that, he will have hope in you”
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Those deeds that are done with steadiness, balance, and ease as opposed to those that entail hardship and undue striving.
Allah, Exalted is He, says, “Allah desires for you ease; He desires not hardship for you”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) would say, “Make things easy and do not make them difficult”
He said: “You have been sent to make things easy, you have not been sent to make things difficult.”
Ahmad records on the authority of Ibn Abbas (ra) that it was asked of the Messenger of Allah, “which of the religions is most beloved to Allah?’ He replied, “The easy and natural religion.”
Ahmad records on the authority of Mihjan Ibn al-Adra that the Prophet entered the Masjid to see a man standing in prayer. He asked, “Do you think him to be truthful?” It was said, “Prophet of Allah, this is so and so, he is the best of the residents of Madinah and the most frequent of them in prayer!’ He said, “Do not let him hear you lest you render him to ruin” He said it two or three times – you are a nation from whom ease is desired.”
The Prophet objected to those who wished to continuously live a life of a hermit, to pray through the whole night, fast every day, and recite the whole Quran every night such as ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr and others.
He said, “…but I fast, and I break my fast; I pray by night and I sleep; and I marry women: whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.”
He finally advised Abdullah ibn Amr to recite the Quran completely every seven days and one narration mentions that he finally advised him to complete it once every three days.
He said, “The one who recites it in less than three days has not understood it.” With regards fasting he finally advised him with the fast of Dawood saying, “There is no fast better than that.”
Source: The Journey to Allah By Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali
