Shaykh al-Islām said:
Chapter on the well-known question of “The Relative Merit of Angels and Humans”
He said:
The discussion may concern either the relative merit of angels and humans as two kinds of beings, or the relative merit of the righteous among angels and humans.
As for the first question—“Which are superior: angels or humans?”—it admits of four interpretations:
(*)
The first interpretation is to ask: Is every individual human superior to every individual angel?
No rational person would say this. Among humans are disbelievers, the wicked, the ignorant, the arrogant, and believers. Among them are those who resemble beasts and grazing livestock. Indeed, livestock are better off than these people, as the Quran explicitly states in several places, such as His saying, exalted is He:
“Indeed, the worst of living creatures in the sight of Allah are the deaf and dumb who do not use reason.”
And He said: