The ruling on the one who says a shaykh is more knowledgeable than 'A'ishah

Question:
May Allah reward you. The honorable scholar says: A man from the common people of the Sunnah debated me on a topic, and the truth was contrary to his claim, until the discussion reached the point where he said that so-and-so, meaning one of the shaykhs, is more knowledgeable than 'A'ishah. So I told him repeatedly to repent to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, but he did not repent. What is his ruling, and what is my position toward him?

Answer:
And it is possible that you clarified it to him. May Allah reward you with good. The obligatory thing is that he should be polite toward the Companions and that he should respect the Companions, and that he should not say such a thing, and that he should not prefer anyone, he should not prefer anyone over the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for they are the best of the people in every sense: in knowledge, in worship, in jihad in the path of Allah, and in all areas of religion. They are the best of the ummah, so no one who came after them is preferred over them. He has gone to the extreme in this, and you clarified it to him.