Abu Ishaq al-Fazari: If I were to choose for this Ummah, I would not choose anyone but Sufyan
Abu Hatim al-Razi: A devout jurist, Imam of the people of Iraq, and the most pious of the companions of Abu Ishaq
Abu Hatim ibn Habban al-Busti: One of the most righteous and pious people, his good qualities in righteousness and piety are too well-known to need elaboration
Abu Dawud al-Sijistani: He has a better memory than Abu Mu'awiyah
Abu Abd Allah al-Hakim al-Nishapuri: An Imam and Hadith expert. He said in the questions of Mas'ud ibn Ali al-Sijazi: He has a better memory than al-Darawardi, he would give nicknames to discredited narrators
Abu Nu'aym al-Asbahani: He narrated from Hammad ibn Usamah that he said: He is an authority
Ahmad ibn Hanbal: One of the four steadfast Hadith scholars, no one surpasses him in my heart, he is the Imam
Ahmad ibn Shu'ayb al-Nasa'i: The quickest one to be called trustworthy, he is one of the Imams
Ayyub ibn Abi Tamimah al-Sakhtiyani: I have not seen anyone from Kufa better than Sufyan
Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani: Trustworthy, Hadith expert, devout jurist, Imam, Hadith expert, and he may have concealed the identity of some narrators
Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi: An Imam of the Muslims and a scholar of the religion
Al-Daraqutni: One of the high-ranking trustworthy scholars
Al-Dhahabi: One of the prominent figures in knowledge and piety, and although he conceals the identity of weak narrators, he has good judgment and taste, and there is no consideration for the one who says: He conceals identities and narrates from liars
Al-Dhahak ibn Muqallad al-Shaybani: Leader of the believers in Hadith
Bishr ibn al-Harith al-Hafi: Sufyan was considered an Imam among us, and Sufyan in his time was like Abu Bakr and Umar in their time
Za'idah ibn Qudamah al-Thaqafi: The most knowledgeable among us
Sufyan ibn 'Uyainah: There is no one in Iraq who memorizes Hadith except Sufyan, and once: I have not seen a man more knowledgeable in halal and haram, and once: Leader of the believers in Hadith
Shu'bah ibn al-Hajjaj: Leader of the believers in Hadith, and once: Sufyan has a better memory than me, and once: If Sufyan disagrees with me in a Hadith, then the Hadith is his
Shu'ayb ibn Harb al-Baghdadi: I think that Sufyan will be brought tomorrow as a proof from Allah against those who came after him, saying to them: You did not reach your Prophet, but you saw Sufyan
Salih ibn Muhammad Jazrah: No one surpasses him in my view in this world
Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Hakam al-Zuhri: I have not heard of anyone like Sufyan after the Tabi'een
Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi: I have not seen anyone with a better memory for Hadith than him
Abd al-Razzaq ibn Hammam al-San'ani: Sufyan used to say: I have never memorized anything in my heart but it has betrayed me, and he used to say: Ask me about the Quran and the rituals, for I am knowledgeable in them
Abd Allah ibn Dawud al-Khuraibi: I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable in jurisprudence than Sufyan
Ali ibn al-Madini: I have never seen Sufyan look at his notes except for the name of Abu 'Ubaydah's wife
Malik ibn Anas: Iraq has overflowed with knowledge since Sufyan came
Muhammad ibn Isma'il al-Bukhari: I do not know of any narration from Sufyan from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, nor from Salamah ibn Kuhail, nor from Mansur, and he mentioned many Shaykhs, and said: I do not know of any concealed narration from Sufyan from these
Muhammad ibn Sa'd, the scribe of al-Waqidi: Trustworthy, reliable, and a devout and steadfast worshiper
Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Makhrami: I have written from one thousand one hundred Shaykhs, and once: I have not written from anyone better than him, I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable than Sufyan
Yahya ibn Sa'id al-Qattan: Sufyan is above Malik in everything, and once: There is no one dearer to me than Shu'bah, and no one is equal to him in my view, but if Sufyan disagreed with him, I would take Sufyan's word. I was not interested in Sufyan saying about those above him, 'I heard', but I was interested in him saying 'He narrated to us'
Yahya ibn Ma'in: Leader of the believers in Hadith, and once: No one disagreed with Sufyan in anything except that Sufyan's word was the correct one, and once, narrated by Ibn Mahriz: It reached Yahya that the Hadith scholars said: Yahya al-Qattan heard from Sufyan along with Abd al-Rahman, so Yahya said: No, by Allah, I did not hear from him with him except two Hadiths, and I have seen his book and I found it to be good
Yahya ibn Yaman al-'Ijli: He was the leader of the believers in Hadith
Yunus ibn 'Ubayd al-'Abdi: I have not seen anyone better than Sufyan