Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The question of superiority between the angels and righteous human beings is a matter over which scholars have differed. According to the view favored by this fatwa, the prophets and righteous among humankind are superior to the angels in terms of the ultimate rank and reward they attain, although the angels are distinguished by the strength and continuity of their worship and by never disobeying Allah. This issue is not one of the fundamentals of belief that a Muslim needs to discuss at great length.
Allah created the angels and made them naturally obedient to Him. Allah Almighty says:
“They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, but do what they are commanded.”
[At-Tahrim 66:6]
And He says:
“They glorify Him night and day, never growing weary.”
[Al-Anbiya 21:20]
It is authentically reported that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The heaven has creaked, and it has a right to creak. There is no space in it the width of four fingers except that an angel has placed his forehead there, prostrating to Allah.”
[Reported by At-Tirmidhi]
In the hadith of Al-Isra’, the Prophet ﷺ also informed us about Al-Bayt Al-Ma'mur:
“Every day seventy thousand angels pray in it, and once they leave it, they never return to it.”
[Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This demonstrates the greatness and abundance of the angels’ worship.
Not necessarily.
The angels were created with a nature different from that of human beings. They were created naturally inclined to obedience and do not possess the same desires and impulses that human beings must struggle against and resist.
A righteous human being, however, worships Allah despite experiencing desires, inclinations, fatigue, and weakness, and strives against himself to remain obedient.
For this reason, a number of scholars held that the obedience of the prophets and righteous people has a particular virtue from this perspective, because they attain high levels of faith and obedience despite the impulses inherent in human nature that require striving against oneself.
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, reported that the well-known view among groups of Sunni scholars is that the prophets and righteous allies of Allah are superior to the angels.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
“The position of Ahl As-Sunnah is that the righteous among humankind are superior to the angels.”
He explained that one reason for this is that human worship involves striving against the self and desires, unlike the angels, whom Allah created naturally inclined toward obedience.
However, it should be noted that this matter is not unanimously agreed upon by all scholars; rather, there is scholarly disagreement and further detail concerning it.
According to the view favored by this fatwa, yes, and the prophets are foremost among the righteous of humankind.
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, mentioned that the messengers of Allah—including Muhammad, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Nuh, peace and blessings be upon them—are superior to the angels.
This does not diminish the status of the angels. They are honored servants whom Allah has greatly esteemed and praised. The discussion here is merely about comparing the ranks of great creatures honored by Allah.
A number of scholars held that the righteous among humankind are also superior to the angels in terms of their ultimate outcome and the rank they attain in the Hereafter.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, favored a detailed view on this issue. He stated that the angels are superior with regard to the beginning, because they were created from light and were naturally disposed toward obedience and given strength to perform it.
The righteous among humankind, however, are superior with regard to the end, due to the honor Allah grants them in Paradise.
Among the evidence cited for this is that the angels will enter upon the people of Paradise to congratulate them, as Allah Almighty says:
“And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, saying, ‘Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home!’”
[Ar-Ra'd 13:23–24]
No.
The fact that angels were created from light and human beings from earth does not mean that every angel is necessarily superior to every human being.
Superiority is not determined merely by the material from which one was created, but by the faith, obedience, and rank with which Allah honors His servants.
Allah has chosen prophets and messengers from among humankind who attained the highest levels of nearness and obedience to Him.
No. This issue is not among the fundamentals of religion upon which the validity of one’s faith depends.
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, indicated that extensive discussion about whether righteous human beings or angels are superior is among matters of knowledge that a Muslim does not need to occupy himself with or dispute over.
A Muslim is required to believe in the angels, love them, and respect their status; to believe in the prophets and follow them; and to work on reforming himself.
The angels are honored servants of Allah who are tremendous in worship. They do not disobey Allah and do whatever they are commanded. Nevertheless, a number of Sunni scholars held that the prophets and righteous among humankind are superior to the angels because they attain great levels of obedience while striving against the inclinations of human nature.
Some scholars offered a more detailed view, saying: the angels are superior with regard to the beginning, while righteous human beings are superior with regard to the end and their rank in the Hereafter.
Despite the scholarly disagreement on this issue, it is not a matter in which a Muslim needs to delve deeply. What is more important is to devote oneself to obeying Allah and reforming oneself.
And Allah knows best.