Which is higher in absolute terms: Shaykh al-Islam or al-Imam?

The Shaykh : This is Ahmad al-Hukmi asking. He asks: Which is more general in absolute terms, the title Shaykh al-Islam or the term al-Imam? What do you mean? Al-Imam is the one who has followers and an established school of thought; this is the one called an Imam. Shaykh al-Islam is the one who is beneficial to Islam, even if he does not have established followers or an established school of thought; he is called Shaykh al-Islam.

The questioner : Which is higher in rank?

The Shaykh : Al-Imam is higher in rank, without any doubt. For this reason, among the practices of the later generations now, they leave it such that even a student of knowledge is called an Imam...