Which is More Important? Aqeedah or Fiqh?
Such a broad question is problematic right from the outset.
Many might argue that aqeedah holds greater significance because possessing correct monotheistic beliefs is a fundamental Muslim prerequisite. However, it is essential to recognize that aqeedah encompasses many topics. As previously mentioned, it delves into various peripheral issues. Certainly, acquiring the knowledge of how to perform Salah correctly to ensure its acceptance is more vital than knowing the specific details of an angel's physical attributes, such as its number of wings. Understanding what nullifies one's wudu is of greater importance than knowing the intricate sequence of events that will unfold in the Hereafter, for instance.
Furthermore, the significance of a particular Islamic discipline can vary depending on factors such as time, location, and individual needs as they pertain to either safeguarding or further refining a Muslim's beliefs. For instance, an Imam leading a community would be expected to have a more profound knowledge of fiqh because the community's requirements are likely to be closely related to matters of fiqh.
Conversely, a Muslim apologist would undoubtedly be expected to be well-versed in aqeedah since many objections against Islam often revolve around this area, among others.
It is true that certain scholars have unequivocally declared the superiority of specific Islamic disciplines over others. Some Qur’anic exegetes assert that tafsir is the most important, while some jurists claim that fiqh takes precedence. Nevertheless, within each Islamic science, some aspects are more crucial to understand than certain aspects within other sciences. Hence, making unconditional comparisons between Islamic sciences is not advisable.
However, it is okay to make a case for the superiority of one Islamic science over another in a general sense but not in a holistic sense. This means that one can argue that given all the aspects of a particular science combined, that science can be argued to be better than another. However, that does not entail that every aspect of that science is superior to every aspect of other sciences.[1]
Allah knows best.
[1] See: Sultan al-Umayri, Qanun at-Ta’sees al-‘Aqadi, pp. 43-48