The merits of Quranic scholars

عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ وَاثِلَةَ، أَنَّ نَافِعَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْحَارِثِ، لَقِيَ عُمَرَ[ رضي الله عنه ] بِعُسْفَانَ، وَكَانَ عُمَرُ يَسْتَعْمِلُهُ عَلَى مَكَّةَ، فَقَالَ: مَنِ اسْتَعْمَلْتَ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْوَادِي؟ فَقَالَ: ابْنَ أَبْزَى، فقال: وَمَنِ ابْنُ أَبْزَى؟ فقال: مَوْلًى مِنْ مَوَالِينَا. قَالَ: فَاسْتَخْلَفْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَوْلًى؟ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ قَارِئٌ لِكِتَابِ اللهِ عزَّ وجلَّ، وَإِنَّهُ عَالِمٌ بِالْفَرَائِضِ، قَالَ عُمَرُ: أَمَا إِنَّ نَبِيَّكُمْ ﷺ قَدْ قَالَ: «إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْفَعُ بِهَذَا الْكِتَابِ أَقْوَامًا، وَيَضَعُ بِهِ آخَرِينَ»

تحميل الملف الصوتي

‘Āmir ibn Wāthilah narrated that

1. Nāfi‘ ibn ‘Abd al-Ḥārith met ‘Umar at ‘Usfān. ‘Umar had appointed him Governor of Makkah. [‘Umar] asked him: “Whom did you appoint over the people of this valley?”

2. [Nāfi‘] said: “Ibn Abzā”. [‘Umar] asked: “And who is Ibn Abzā?” He said: “One of our mawlas”.

3. [‘Umar] said: “You appointed a mawla as their ruler?”

4. [Nāfi‘] said: “He has learnt God’s Book, the Mighty and Exalted, by heart and he is well versed in the discipline of division of inheritance”.

5. [‘Umar] said: “Your Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘God elevates some people by means of this Book and brings down others”’.

Related Quranic Verses

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Whenever a surah is revealed, some of them say: ‘Which of you has this strengthened in faith?’ It certainly strengthens the believers in their faith, and so they rejoice. (124) But as for those whose hearts are diseased, it only adds wickedness to their wickedness, and so they die unbelievers.

(9: 124-125)

Those who recite God’s Book, attend regularly to prayer, and give in charity, secretly and openly, from what We have provided for them, look forward to a bargain that can never fail, (29) for He will grant them their just rewards, and give them yet more out of His bounty. He is indeed much-forgiving, most-thankful. (30) The Book that We have revealed to you is the truth confirming previous scriptures. Of His servants God is well-aware, all-seeing. (31) We have given this Book to such of Our servants as We choose: among them are some who wrong their own souls, some follow a middle course; and some who, by God’s leave, are foremost in deeds of goodness. That is the greatest favour.

(35: 29-32)

God will elevate, by many degrees, those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge.

(58: 11)