حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ شِهَابٍ، ح و حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ الْمَعْنَى، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، عَامِرِ بْنِ وَاثِلَةَ أَنَّ نَافِعَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْحَارِثِ، لَقِيَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِعُسْفَانَ وَكَانَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ اسْتَعْمَلَهُ عَلَى مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مَنْ اسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْوَادِي قَالَ اسْتَخْلَفْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ ابْنَ أَبْزَى قَالَ وَمَا ابْنُ أَبْزَى فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ مَوَالِينَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ اسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَوْلًى فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَارِئٌ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَالِمٌ بِالْفَرَائِضِ قَاضٍ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَمَا إِنَّ نَبِيَّكُمْ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ.
It was narrated that Nafi’ bin 'Abdul-Harith met 'Umar bin al-Khattab in ‘Usfan, when he was his governor in Makkah. Umar asked:
Whom have you appointed as your deputy over the people of the valley? He said: I have appointed Ibn Abza over them, ‘Umar said: Who is Ibn Abza? Nafiʼ said: One of our freed slaves. ‘Umar said: Have you appointed a freed slave over them? Nafi’ said: He has great knowledge of the Book of Allah, is well versed in the rules of inheritance (al-fara'id) and is a (good) qadi (judge). 'Umar said. Indeed your Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Allah raises some people (in status) by means of this Book and brings others low by means of it.”