He was also asked:
“Are the obedient among the community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, superior to the angels?”

He replied:
It is established that ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAmr said:

“The angels said, ‘Our Lord, You have allowed the children of Adam to eat, drink and enjoy themselves in this world, so grant us the Hereafter as You have granted them this world.’ He said, ‘I will not do so.’ They repeated their request to Him, and He said, ‘I will not do so.’ Then they repeated their request to Him twice or three times, and He said, ‘By My might, I will not make the righteous descendants of the one whom I created with My two hands like those to whom I said, “Be,” and they came into being.’”

ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd al-Dārimī mentioned this report, and ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ahmad narrated it in his book al-Sunan (*) as a report attributed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with a disconnected chain of transmission.

ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām also said:
“Allah has created no being more honoured in His sight than Muhammad.” He was asked, “Not even Gabriel or Michael?” He replied to the questioner, “Do you know what Gabriel and Michael are? Gabriel and Michael are but created beings subject to His command, like the sun and the moon. Allah has created no being more honoured in His sight than Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

I know of nothing reported from any of the Companions that contradicts this. This is the well-known position among those who affiliate themselves with the Sunnah, including the followers of the four imams and others: that the prophets and the friends of Allah are superior to the angels. We have devoted a separate work to this question, in which we presented the evidence on both sides.