He replied:

Reciting the Quran is generally better than remembering Allah, and remembering Allah is generally better than supplication. Yet an otherwise less excellent deed may be better in certain circumstances. Prayer, likewise, is better than all of these. Nevertheless, recitation, remembrance, and supplication are better than prayer at times when prayer is prohibited, such as the five prohibited times and during the sermon. Glorifying Allah while bowing and prostrating is better than recitation, and the final tashahhud (testimony of faith) is better than remembrance.

Some people may benefit more from a less excellent deed, depending on their circumstances: their hearts may be more focused on it, they may feel more at ease with it, and they may have greater strength for it. This is the case, for example, with someone who sometimes experiences these things when remembering Allah but not when reciting the Quran. Thus, a deed that he performs fully is better for him than one he performs deficiently, even though the latter kind of deed is [better] (1).

A person may also be unable to perform the better deed, in which case what he is able to do is better for him. And Allah knows best.