Taqwiyat ul-Imaan English Shah Ismail Shaheed Dehlvi

“Taqwiyat ul-Imān” (Strengthening of the Faith) by Shah Isma’il Shaheed Dehlvi (grandson of Shah Waliullah) is a pivotal and controversial work of 19th-century Islamic reform in India. Written under the strong influence of the teachings of Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, the book serves as a powerful, clear, and unyielding argument for the restoration of pure monotheism (Tawḥīd) and a firm condemnation of all forms of Shirk (polytheism) and innovation (Bid’ah) prevalent in South Asian popular practice. Shah Isma’il meticulously critiques practices like seeking intercession through saints, venerating graves, and excessive rituals. This short treatise is an essential text for understanding the doctrinal basis of the early Salafi and Deobandi movements in the Indian subcontinent, emphasizing reliance solely upon the Qur’an and Sunnah.