Your Second Question
Since the phrase, “May Allah be pleased with him” is used for the Companions of the Prophet (UWBP), is it appropriate to use it in the same way for others?
The Answer: Yes, it may be used, because unlike “Upon whom be blessings and peace,” which is a mark of Allah the Most High’s Messenger (UWBP), the epithet, “May Allah be pleased with him” is not particular to the Companions, but should be used for persons who, like the Companions, attained to the “greater sainthood” known as “the legacy of prophethood,” rising to the station of Allah the Most High’s pleasure. Examples are the four Imams, and Shaikh ‘Abd al‑Qadir Gilani, Imam-i Rabbani (Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi), and Imam Ghazali. But the general practice among religious scholars has been to use “May Allah be pleased with him” for the Companions; “May Allah have mercy on him” for the two generations succeeding them; “May Allah forgive him” for subsequent generations; and “May his mystery be sanctified” for the great saints.