Abu Dharr reported,
I asked the Prophet ﷺ, "Which deed is best?"He said, "Belief in Allah and striving in His path."I asked, "Which slave is best to free?"He said, "The one most valuable in price and most prized by his owners."I said, "What if I cannot do that?"He said, "Then help a craftsman or work for someone unskilled."I said, "What if I cannot do that either?"He said, "Then spare people from your harm, for that is a charity you give to yourself."
Azami 226
Sahihعن أبي ذر، قال
سألت النبي ﷺ أي العمل أفضل؟ قال: إيمان بالله، وجهاد في سبيله قلت: فأي الرقاب أفضل؟ قال: أغلاها ثمنا، وأنفسها عند أهلها. قلت: فإن لم أفعل؟ قال: تعين صانعا، أو تصنع لأخرق قال: فإن لم أفعل: تدع الناس من الشر، فإنها صدقة، تصدق بها على نفسك.
Bukhari related it in the Book of Manumission (2518), and Muslim in the Book of Faith (84), both from the hadith of Hisham bin Urwa, from his father, from Abu Marawih, from Abu Dharr, and he mentioned the hadith. The wording given is Bukhari's. In a wording of Muslim's, "Restraining his evil from people, for that is charity from you upon yourself."Ibn Hibban (373) and Hakim (1/63) added many additions through another route, from Uzai, who said, Abu Kathir Sahmi narrated to me, from his father, who said, I asked Abu Dharr, I said, "Guide me to a deed which, if the servant does it, he enters Paradise." He said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about that..." and he mentioned the hadith.Abu Kathir Sahmi is Bazzi Yaami, the blind man, who is trustworthy. It is said his name was Yazid bin Abdul-Rahman bin Udhayna, and it is also said Yazid bin Abdullah bin Udhayna, or Ibn Ghufayla. As for his father, Abdullah or Abdul-Rahman bin Udhayna or Ibn Ghufayla, nothing is known about him.The hadith has other chains of transmission with Tabarani and others, and there is discussion regarding all of them. The sahih one among them is what the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) related, because it is unlikely that Abu Dharr would have asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about the same matter twice or more, so that once the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him what is in the Sahihayn, and another time told him what is in the many additions found outside the Sahihayn. This would be different if the questioner were more than one Companion, for that would indicate multiple separate sittings.