247 — Ibn Makhlad also narrated to us, saying: Abū Dāwūd narrated to us, saying: Ahmad narrated to us, saying: Surayj ibn al-Nuʿmān narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Nāfiʿ narrated to us, saying: Mālik used to say, “Faith consists of speech and action; it increases and decreases.”