Is it true that the superiority of Abu Bakr and Umar -may Allah be pleased with them- over the prophets, with the exception of the Messenger -peace be upon him-, was affirmed in some books of Sunnah? And what is the authenticity of the hadith: "The best of people after the Messenger are Abu Bakr and Umar"? And what are the opinions of the four madhhabs regarding the superiority of prophets over the Companions?

Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah are in agreement that the prophets are the best of humanity, absolutely, and that prioritizing saints over them is found in the books of the innovators (Mubtadi'ah). Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah emphasizes that the Messengers are superior to the Prophets, and that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the master of the children of Adam, and that the Prophets are the best of creation by the consensus of Muslims, followed by the truthful (Siddiqoon), the martyrs (Shuhadaa'), and the righteous (Salihoon). Furthermore, the best of this Ummah after its Prophet are Abu Bakr, then Umar, and this prioritization applies to people other than the Prophets and Messengers, as stated in the noble Ahadith.