He answered, “Faith in Allah, and striving in His cause.”
59- This accords with what the Quran indicates—that jihad is given precedence over pilgrimage.
60- It is also related: “A military expedition in which no fighting occurs is better than seventy pilgrimages.”¹

Another proof of the superiority of jihad over pilgrimage
61- Nor does this conflict with what is recorded in the two Ṣaḥīḥs² from Ibn Masʿūd, who said: “I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, ‘Which deeds are best?’ He said, ‘Prayer at its proper time.’ I said, ‘Then what?’ He said, ‘Honoring one’s parents.’ I said, ‘Then which deed is best?’ He said, ‘Jihad in the path of Allah.’ The Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me these, and had I asked for more, he would have added further.’ This ḥadīth likewise demonstrates the superiority of jihad over pilgrimage and other works.
62- As for the prayer, it can fall under the designation of faith, as in His saying, “And Allah would never allow your faith to be lost” (2:143).