Whom have you appointed as collector over the people of the valley? He said: Ibn Abza. He said: Who is Ibn Abza? He said: He is one of our freed slaves. He (Hadrat 'Umar) said: So you have appointed a freed slave over them. He said: He is well versed In the Book of Allah. the Exalted and Great, and he is well versed In the commandments and injunctions (of the Shari'ah). 'Umar said: So the Prophet ﷺ said: By this Book, Allah would exalt some peoples and degrade others.

إِنَّهُ قَارِئٌ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ ﷻ وَإِنَّهُ عَالِمٌ بِالْفَرَائِضِ قَالَ عُمَرُ أَمَا إِنَّ نَبِيَّكُمْ ﷺ قَدْ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ

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.”

لَهُ عُمَرُ مَنِ اسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْوَادِي؟ قَالَ اسْتَخْلَفْتُ عَلَيْهِمُ ابْنَ أَبْزَى فقَالَ وَمَا ابْنُ أَبْزَى؟ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ مَوَالِينَا فَقَالَ عُمَرُ اسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَوْلًى! فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ قَارِئٌ لِكِتَابِ اللهِ عَالِمٌ بِالْفَرَائِضِ قَاضٍ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ أَمَا إِنَّ نَبِيَّكُمْ ﷺ قَدْ قَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ