What is the legal ruling regarding the status of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and does the religion need him, and is the saying "Were it not for the Messenger of Allah, Allah would not have created the earth and what is upon it" correct?

The people of Sunnah are moderate, avoiding both extremism and negligence. The belief that Allah created the Earth for the sake of the Messenger, peace be upon him, is an ugly form of extremism that contradicts the Qur’an, which states that Allah created creation for His worship and monotheism. As for the statement that religion needs the Messenger, if it means that Allah made the Messengers a medium for conveying the divine laws, then it is correct, based on His saying, "And there is not upon the Messenger except the [clear] notification." The رسالة (message/prophethood) is a duty, a mandate, and an honor for the Messenger. However, believing that Allah is in need of any of His servants to convey His religion is blatant disbelief. Warning against extremism does not negate the Messenger's rights over his nation.