The guided person may attain a higher rank than the one who guided him
26-11-2015 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaikum. The Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said that the one who gives dawah (proselytization) to others will get the full reward every time they do an act of worship. However, is it possible that the one who responds to the dawah (in certain circumstances) may actually reach a higher status in Allaah's sight than the one who gave dawah to him? I believe there is evidence to indicate this given that the sister and brother-in-law of 'Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) gave dawah to him when he was still a non-Muslim by giving him a chapter of the Qur'an to read, upon which he embraced Islam. Although they gave dawah to him and Allaah guided him through their efforts, he still attained a higher place in Paradise than either of them. May Allah reward you. Ameen
Answer:
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, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The matter of rewards is among the matters of the Unseen that cannot be addressed except based on a religious text. However, the Prophet, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, said, “Whoever guides someone to a good deed shall receive a reward similar to that of its doer.” [Muslim]
Some scholars advised that this does not necessarily mean that both the one who guided to a good deed and the doer of the good deed shall receive equal rewards. Imam An-Nawawi 
wrote in his explanation of this hadeeth:
“It points out the virtue of guiding others to good deeds, paying attention to them, and helping them. It also states the virtue of teaching knowledge and acts of worship, especially to those who act upon them from the devoted worshipers and others. ‘A reward similar to that of its doer’ means that he will be rewarded for this deed just as its doer will be rewarded for it. This does not necessitate that their rewards should be equal.”
As for the status and rank, the person being guided through the agency of another may enjoy a significantly higher rank than the one who guided him, as evident in the story of ʻUmar 
and others.
The Muslim is enjoined to strive in calling people to Allaah and guiding them to doing good and to race to doing good deeds as perhaps people would follow his example and accept his advice. Whoever is the reason behind urging others to carry out a righteous deed receives rewards from Allaah for that because this good deed was carried out because of him. Allaah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Indeed, it is We Who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register.} [Quran 36:12]
As-Saʻdi wrote:
“The verse means that the good and evil deeds that a person has carried out during his life are recorded. The phrase 'what they left behind' in the verse alludes to the fact that the effects and consequences of any deed (good or evil carried out by the deceased) that another person follows will be recorded in favor of the deceased person (if it is good) or against him (if it is evil). If a person teaches or offers advice to another one to carry out a good deed, enjoins him to do good or forbid him from doing evil, then he will receive the rewards of the second person’s good deeds performed through his agency or guidance even after his death. Similarly, if a person imparts beneficial knowledge to others or leaves behind useful books for others to avail themselves of them, then this also benefits them even after his death. Whoever introduces a good practice and carries out a good deed such as performing prayer, offering zakah, charity, or doing any act of kindness, building a mosque or any beneficial facility for the service of Muslims, and the like, then all these fall under the category of the good legacy that the person has 'left behind', and he will continue to receive the rewards of all those who benefit from them (even after his death). On the other hand, if a person introduces a religious innovation or any evil deed, then he will be held accountable for the sins of all those who follow him, even after he departs from this worldly life. This is why whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam, there is for him its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without anything being diminished from their rewards, and whosoever introduces an evil practice in Islam will shoulder its sin and the sins of all those who will act upon it, without diminishing their burden in any way. In fact, this indicates the refined status of calling people to Allaah and guiding them to His path by any given way and means ...”
Ibn Hajar wrote about Lady Khadeejah 
:
“Among her unique merits with which she has been distinguished from all women of the Muslim nation was the fact that she was the first woman to accept Islam. Thus, she introduced a good practice for all the women who have accepted Islam after her; she shall gain equal rewards for whoever has followed her example and accepted Islam after her. It has been established that whosoever introduces a good practice in Islam, there is for him its reward and the reward of those who act upon it after him without anything being diminished from their rewards. The same applies to Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq among Muslim men; he was the first man to accept Islam. None but Allaah knows the extent of the rewards gained by them for that...”
Allaah knows best.