I had such discussions long time. Books like Karamat e Sahaba and Karamat e Awliyah give references from various sources including hadith and then there are many other books, still such arguments result in a stalemate. Who wants to change opinions which are defended such starkly. Basically comes down to - to each his own. Everybody finds God in his own way, including sunni, shia, hindu, christian, sikh, buddhist etc. Maybe they are destined to find God in a certian path.
I find Rumi's example most useful as it makes matters variable. Rumi was a scholar, an imam, a khateeb/molvi giving sermons with full command on Tafseer, Hadith and jursiprudence of Islam. He met Shams at age of 38 and Shams told him to choose the line of a poet rather than scholar. Rumi accepted him as a teacher/friend and changed at such a mature age. He then said, "Unlearning, is the greatest form of learning".
Shams showed him another way than the path by the book. That way was the way of Divine love, the spiritual love. Rumi understood the path he had taken when asked by Shams to bring two bottles of wine from the tavern, where everybody was shocked when the greatest Islamic scholar of Konya walked in to buy wine. He brought the bottles of wine back to Shams who spilled them in the garden.
Arguments, arguments, arguments. There is a stage ahead of it and then there is a stage without it. Rumi took the stage without arguing with Shams, but Ahmad Raza khan Barelvi took the stage of arguing especially in his book "Roohon Ki Duniya".
I don't want to give the examples of ashaba karam as the theme becomes religious, but in the book ,"Mushkil Kusha" (based on Hazrat Ali R.A), you will find how he got accusations and how he got the elevated in history of Islam and became close to Hazrat Muhammad SAW. That is not just one book, there are many books on him. There are also books on poetry he wrote.
Its the tears in eyes at nigh, the softness of heart, the physical strength to stand or sit all night in one ablution till fajr, the burning desire in heart with constant fast hear beat like a yearning that attracts me about divine love and spirituality. The cleanliness of the soul from any form of negativity like jealousy, hatred, stubbornness, rigidity of thoughts, depression, doubts, tension, stress, anger etc.
The passion for divine love which wakes up a person at tahajud time without the use of alarm clock, when one can offer his tears to God sitting on a prayer mat. These tears soften the heart. These tears come when one is modest and cries not for the problems he has but out of love that he has for Hazrat Muhammad SAW. How he craves every night that Dear God, I want to see, i want to feel, i want to hear, one and only one, Hazrat Muhammad SAW, oh God, at least let me see Hazrat Muhammad SAW in my dream, for all day while Im working my mind is stuck on him (SAW), all the time im watching Tv with my family, my mind is thinking of him (SAW), all the time Im eating, drinking, walking, my mind only yearns for him (SAW).
This above is a lucky state for that mind, that heart, that thought which yearns and cries for Hazrat Muhammad SAW, I doubt that any negative thought will enter it since it has no space for such thoughts, that mind is completely filled for one yearning only - to become close to Hazrat Muhammad SAW.
Now there are other ways of course. Recite darood shareef, follow Sunnah, act upon Hadith shareef. And then just go by the book, go for Allah instead of craving for Hazrat Muhammad SAW. Like I said, to each his own.
