The Ruling on the Life of al-Khidr (peace be upon him) and His Prophethood

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, al-Khidr (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him). What is the stronger position regarding him? Is he a prophet or a righteous man? And is he alive or has he died?

Answer:
As for whether he is alive or dead, I assert that he is dead. The Shaykh, meaning, he established in a treatise that he is dead; it is not possible for him to be alive. The messengers did not remain, so how could al-Khidr remain? He is dead. Every soul will taste death. As for whether he is a prophet or a wali (close friend of Allah), this is a matter of disagreement among the scholars. Some say he is a prophet because the matters that occurred through his hand are mu'jizah (prophetic miracles), which do not occur except through the hand of a prophet. Others say he is not a prophet, but rather a righteous servant. A righteous servant, and what occurred through his hand are karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person), not mu'jizah. And Allah did not name him a prophet. Allah did not name him a prophet. Yes. He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, some say that he saw the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). When he traveled , and arrived, he found and said, "a servant of Our servants," and did not say "a prophet." Yes.