1018 - Abu Bakr al-Marwudhi informed us that it was said to Abu Abd Allah: "Ibn al-Mubarak used to say: 'It [faith] increases but does not decrease.'" He replied: "He used to say: 'Faith varies in excellence (yatafadalu),' and Sufyan used to say: 'It decreases until nothing of it remains.'"
١٠١٨ - وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْمَرُّوذِيُّ، أَنَّ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قِيلَ لَهُ: كَانَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ يَقُولُ: «يَزِيدُ وَلَا يَنْقُصُ» ، فَقَالَ: " كَانَ يَقُولُ: " الْإِيمَانُ يَتَفَاضَلُ، وَكَانَ سُفْيَانُ يَقُولُ: يَنْقُصُ حَتَّى لَا يَبْقَى مِنْهُ شَيْءٌ "
