Shariat is Paramount
"I asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ spiritually about the secret behind the superiority of the Shaykhain (i.e. Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique RAA and Hazrat Umer Farooq RAA) over Hazrat Ali RAA, that Hazrat Ali is superior with regards to lineage, and swift in taking decisions, and the bravest of all, and all the Sufis are attributed to him. It was cast upon my heart by the Holy Prophet ﷺ that, 'my Prophethood has two aspects, the outward and the inward. The outward aspect has to do with establishing justice among people and to take measures for their guidance. In this respect, the two Shaikhain are like my hands and arms. And the inward aspect has to do with the stations of Fana and Baqa, etc. But the source and origin of all these aspects is the outward aspect, i.e. the Shariah.'"
Hazrat Shah Waliullah RA, Tafheemat-e-Ilahiya 249, via Dalail-us-Salook
