If 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz is considered the fifth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs; does this mean he is elevated above Mu'awiyah?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. A questioner says: There is a saying, often attributed, that 'Umar ibn al-Khattab is the fifth of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Does this mean elevating 'Umar above Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him)?

Answer:
'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz is not 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. Yes, some scholars include 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz among the Rightly Guided Caliphs, meaning that his period completed the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. However, the correct view is that he is not included among the Rightly Guided Caliphs. The one who completed the period of the Rightly Guided Caliphs was al-Hasan ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), because he was pledged allegiance as caliph and remained in that position for a period before he relinquished it, so that period completed the term. 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz has great virtue, without doubt, but he is not superior to Mu'awiyah, because 'Umar did not have the status of being a Companion, whereas Mu'awiyah had the status of being a Companion of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). No one, no matter what they do, can be equated with the Companions. Yes.