and Ahmad (3/178 and 184), Abu Ya‘la (7/39–40/3948–3950), Abu Nu‘aym in Akhbar Asbahan (1/128 and 2/156–157), and al-Bayhaqi in Dala’il al-Nubuwwah (5/497), through several chains from al-Mukhtar ibn Fulfal, from Anas ibn Malik, who said:

A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O best of creation!” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied: … and then related it. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

I say: The apparent meaning of the hadith indicates two matters:

First, that Abraham, peace be upon him, is the best of all created beings without qualification, angels included.

Second, that he is superior to our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.

The scholars answered this by saying that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said it out of humility and self-effacement; or that he said it before it was revealed to him that Allah, Exalted is He, had taken him as an intimate friend, just as He had taken Abraham as an intimate friend, and that he would be the master of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, with Adam and all those beneath him under his banner, peace and blessings be upon him—as is stated in the authentic hadiths. This was al-Tahawi’s answer; consult it, for it is important and beneficial.

As for the first matter, al-Tahawi did not address it. In my view—and Allah knows best—the phrase “best of creation” does not include the angels, just as Allah the Exalted says in Surat al-Bayyinah: “Indeed, those who believe and do righteous deeds—those are the best of creation,” after saying: “Indeed, those who disbelieve among the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the Fire of Hell, abiding therein forever; those are the worst of creation.” What is meant by “the best of creation” and “the worst of creation” is only beings other than the angels—as the context suggests—for the angels “do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded.” Al-Qurtubi mentioned that Allah’s words, “the best of creation,” had been cited as evidence for the superiority of