I wanted to know whether this story about Imam Al-Ghazaali and Abdul Qaadir Al-Jilaani is true. It is said that Imam Al-Ghazaali had a hand print on his shoulder from birth and that Abdul Qaadir Al-Jilaani had a foot print on his back from his birth and that these prints were of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Is that true? I also wanted to know whether there is any authentic hadith in which Prophet said that scholars of his community have the same status as the Prophets sent to the Children of Israel?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

After research, we have not come across the authenticity of what you have mentioned in respect to Al-Ghazaali and Al-Jeelaani.

As regards the statement, "The scholars of my community are like the Prophets sent to the children of Israel", then this was falsely attributed to the Prophet . Al-Ajlooni mentioned this in Kashf Al-Khafaa’ wa Muzeel Al-Ilbaas and Al-Qaari' mentioned it in Al-Asraar Al-Marfoo’ah fi Al-Ahaadeeth Al-Mawdhoo’ah.

Shaykh Al-Albaani said in Silsilat Al-Ahadeeth Adh-Dha’eefah wal-Mawdhoo’ah wa Atharuha As-Sayyi’ fi Al-Ummah about the hadeeth that reads, "The scholars of my community are like the Prophets sent to the children of Israel," "It has no foundation according to the consensus of the scholars. The Qaadiyaani sect provide this hadeeth as evidence that there is prophethood after the Prophet [which is not true]."

Allaah knows best.