Is someone who converted to Islam sixteen years ago, then claimed that Jesus (peace be upon him) is mightier than the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), considered to have apostatized from the religion, and must his Muslim wife be divorced?

There is no doubt about the error of anyone who prefers any of the prophets over the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), as scholars have unanimously agreed that he is the noblest of mankind and the best of all prophets and creations. Preferring anyone other than the prophets over the Prophet (peace be upon him) is an act of disbelief (kufr). However, regarding preferring a prophet over our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it appears that the one who says this is not to be judged as a disbeliever due to the possibility of interpretation (ta'wil) and ambiguity, and the Prophet's (peace be upon him) prohibition against making distinctions between the prophets. Rather, such a person should be taught and treated with gentleness to guide them out of error. Furthermore, ruling on the apostasy of specific individuals is not for ordinary people but for the legitimate judiciary, after verifying the conditions for declaring someone a disbeliever and the absence of any impediments.