Did the eminent scholar Al-Albani deny the superiority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) over all creation in his book "Al-Tawassul wa Anwa'uhu" (p. 149), or did he stop short of making a definitive statement on that matter, and did he clarify his opinion in other works?

Shaykh Al-Albani clarified that Dr. Al-Bouti relied on conjecture in his claim that seeking intercession through the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, after his death is permissible because he is the best of creation, and that this belief requires a text that is definitive in authenticity and meaning. He mentioned that the issue of preferring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, over all creation is a matter of disagreement, and that Imam Abu Hanifa refrained from taking a stance on it, referring to Sharh al-Tahawiyyah. He also quoted Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah's اشاره (allusion) to the Prophet's superiority without further comment. He stated that the commentator of al-Tahawiyyah refrained from taking a stance on the issue of preference between angels and righteous humans due to the absence of a definitive text on it, and that Imam Abu Hanifa likewise refrained from taking a stance on it. Shaykh Al-Albani's opinion on this matter did not explicitly appear, however, he concluded the verification of a treatise with "May Allah bless the best of His creation, Muhammad."