Sahih al-Bukhari 26
صحيح البخاري#26Sahihحَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، وَمُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سُئِلَ أَىُّ الْعَمَلِ أَفْضَلُ فَقَالَ " إِيمَانٌ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ". قِيلَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ " الْجِهَادُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ". قِيلَ ثُمَّ مَاذَا قَالَ " حَجٌّ مَبْرُورٌ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was asked, "What is the best deed?" He replied, "To believe in Allah and His Apostle (Muhammad). The questioner then asked, "What is the next (in goodness)? He replied, "To participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in Allah's Cause." The questioner again asked, "What is the next (in goodness)?" He replied, "To perform Hajj (Pilgrim age to Mecca) 'Mubrur, (which is accepted by Allah and is performed with the intention of seeking Allah's pleasure only and not to show off and without committing a sin and in accordance with the traditions of the Prophet)
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
Every narration in Sahih al-Bukhari is accepted as Sahih (authentic) by the established status of the book.
In-book reference: 2:19