*    The greatest honour is that scholars are inheritors of the noble Prophets عَـلَـيْـهِمُ الـصَّلٰوةُ وَالـسَّـلَام.

Imam Ghazālī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه proclaimed, "Just as there is no rank higher than Prophethood, there is no honour greater than the inheritance left by the Prophets عَـلَيْـهِمُ  الـسَّـلاَم (referring to knowledge of Islam).”^[1]

5) The excellence of scholars is like…!!

In JāmiꜤ al-Tirmidhī, there is a Hadith in which Sayyidunā Abū Umāmah al-Bāhilī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrates how both a devout worshipper and a scholar were mentioned in the presence of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Upon this, the beloved Prophetصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared:

فَضْلُ العَالِمِ عَلَى العَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى اَدْنَاكُم

The superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like my superiority over the lowest among you.^[2]

Dear Islamic brothers! Just reflect for a moment—how grand is the status of our beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! His excellence is beyond measure—he is the crown and leader of the noble Prophets عَـلَيْـهِمُ  الـسَّـلاَم. Allah granted him the most exalted rank and status in all of creation.  

This noble Messenger, the most beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is declaring that the excellence of a scholar of Islam over a devout worshipper, is just like his own superiority over the lowest ranked member of his Ummah.

Now, we must reflect: who is this lowest ranked member of the Ummah, and how superior is our Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم compared to him?