CONTENTS

1. Publisher's Note
2. Preface
3. Prelude
Chapter One
Description of Tauhid
4. People's unawareness
5. The acts leading to polytheism
6. Those who profess to have Faith in Allah while their actions reeking of polytheism
7. The verdict of Qur'an
8. None but Allah is the Capable
9. None is the supporter other than Allah
10. None is the sustainer other than Allah
11. The reality of Shirk
Chapter Two
Categories and aspects of Shirk
12. Shirk in knowledge
13. Shirk in disposing
14. Shirk in worship
15. Shirk in one's daily routine chores
Chapter Three
The Vices of Polytheism
The Virtues of Monotheism
16. The polytheism cannot be forgiven
17. Explaining Shirk
18. Shirk, the greatest of all vices
19. Tauhid is the only way out
20. Allah is disgusted with Shirk
21. Affirming the Oneness of Allah prior to the dawn of time itself
22. Shirk cannot be presented as an authority
23. The excuse of forgetfulness shall not be accepted
24. The basic teachings of the Prophets and the Scriptures
25. Tauhid and forgiveness
Chapter Four
The negation of Shirk in knowledge
26. Only Allah possess the knowledge of Ghaib
27. The one who claims to have the knowledge of Ghaib, is a liar
28. The matters of Ghaib
29. Do not call upon anyone but Allah
30. Allah Alone, possesses the power of benefit and inflicting harm
31. The original assignment of the Prophets
32. The Prophets do not have the knowledge of unseen

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33. The saying of the Prophet {Peace be upon Him} regarding the knowledge of the unseen
34. The saying of Aisha{Peace be upon Her}
Chapter Five
The Negation of Shirk in Authority
35. Allah is the One Who causes benefit and inflicts harm
36. None is the sustainer except Allah
37. Invoke none but Allah
38. No intercession without His Permission
39. Types of intercession
40. An intercession due to one's high-ranking status is not possible
41. Acceptance of one's intercession out of love is not possible
42. Interceding with permission
43. The Straight Path
44. Allah is the Nearest to all
45. Trust in Allah Alone
46. Relationship does not benefit
Chapter Six
Prohibition of Shirk in Worship
47. The definition of worship
48. Worship is meant for Allah Alone
49. Prostration is for Allah only
50. It is an act of Shirk to call upon other than Allah
51. The holy sanctuaries must be respected
52. Anything dedicated to an entity other than Allah is forbidden
53. Authority and command is only for Allah
54. Giving someone false names is an act of Shirk
55. So-called customs are acts of Shirk
56. Keeping people stand up in one's honor is prohibited
57. Worshipping idols and the so-called "sanctums of saints" is an act of Shirk
58. Slaughtering an animal in a name other than that of Allah is a curse
59. Indications heralding the advent of Doomsday
60. Worshipping the places of saints is an act of the worst people
61. Performing Tawaf of the idols
Chapter Seven
Prohibition of Shirk in Social Customs
62. The whispering of Satan
63. Polytheistic rituals in regard to the soliciting of children
64. Polytheistic rituals in agriculture
65. Polytheistic rituals in regard to the cattle
66. Slandering Allah in the matters of lawful and forbidden things
67. Giving credit to the influence of planets is an act of Shirk
68. The astrologers are magicians and the magicians are Disbelievers
69. The sin of believing in astrology

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70. Deducing an omen is an act of disbelief
7'1.Do not make Allah an Intercessor
72. The dearest names to Allah
73. Kunya with the Name of Allah must be avoided
74. Only say MashaAllah
75. Taking an oath in the name of anyone other than Allah is an act of Shirk
76. The verdict of the Prophet {peace be upon Him} about observing vows
77. Prostration to Allah and paying due respect to a Messenger
78. It is not permissible to call someone one's slave
79. An excellent example to pay respect to the Prophet {Peace be upon Him}
80. The word Saiyid carries two meanings
81. Sayings of the Prophet {Peace be upon Him} in regard to the pictures
82. The five major sins
83. The statement of the Prophet {Peace be upon Him}about himself

At a time when the general milieu in the subcontinent of India was overwhelmed by the powers
of darkness, and the soundness of Faith was reeling under the potentially threatening squalls and
the blinding forages of superstitions and paganism, Allah the Almighty, by dint of His special
blessing, sent a personality, who, by the strength of his Faith, knowledge and rhetoric, dissipated
the redoubtable forces of depravity and smashed the self-made idols of Shirk (polytheism) and
Bid'ah (innovations in religion) and established the base of pure Tauhid (Islamic Monotheism).
This great personality was Shah Ismail Muhaddith Dehlawi {May Allah have mercy on him},
who was the grandson of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi, a man of profound knowledge and great name
to be reckoned with in terms of his authentic scholarship among the most qualified and famous
celebrities of his time. The services which he has rendered for the reformation of Ummah and his
undertaking the task of Da'wah (the mission of propagating Islam); especially after the previous
works of Shaikhul-Islam Imam Ibn Taimiyah and Muhammad bin AbdulWahhab, are absolutely
unforgettable and shall always be cherished in our minds. His status is specially far more
prominent and elevated due to the fact that he not only carried on with his struggle on the strength
of his pen and tongue, but he practically joined Tahreek-ul-Mujahidin (the first Islamic Mujahid
movement) under the inspiring leadership of Saiyid Ahmad Shaheed and achieved martyrdom in
his armed struggle against the Sikhs at Balakot and hence set an ideal example for the weak,
incapacitated and oppressed Muslims of India.
The age of Shah Ismail Shaheed was infested and contaminated with the poisonous atmosphere of
Shirk and innovations. The Indian Muslims, under the influence of the Hindu mythological faith,
had entered such rituals and beliefs in Islam that they even surpassed the ones observed during
the pre-Islamic period (in terms of their polytheistic rituals).
Taking the above facts into consideration, Shah Ismail Shaheed's religious sense of honor and the
integrity of his Faith could not tolerate the spectacle that Islam which has been choiced for the
slaves of Allah to confirm His Oneness (which is also the purpose of affirming one's faith in the
Prophethood), should be infiltrated with and gnawed by the concept of associating partners to
Allah. In order to achieve this august and noble purpose, he compiled Taqwiyat-ul-Iman (the
strengthening of faith), wherein he, along with construing and elaborating on Qur'an and Ahadith,
also expatiated at length about the pure Islamic beliefs, and declaring all the innovations and
rituals the source of ignorance in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah, he emphatically enjoined upon
the Muslims to avoid being involved with them. Apart from bearing such exalted and elevated
aims, this book, on account of its elegant, breezy, simple and elaborate style of prose (according
to the requirement of its age), proved to be so much popular among the peoples that it has so far
been published in millions and has enlightened trillions of delinquent and strayed people and has
guided them to the Right Path.
It must be brought to the attention of our readers that a preface written by Maulana Ghulam
Rasool Mehr (the late), encompassing an eloquent description and a mighty rhetoric on the
comprehensive benefits and profitability of Taqwiyat-ul-Iman is also included in this book and
hence we presume that writing anything further in this regard shall be amounting to proverbially
carrying coals to Newcastle.

Shah Muhammad Ismail {May Allah have mercy on him} the author of Taqwiyat-ul-.Iman was
the solitary son of Shah Abdul-Ghani {May Allah have mercy on him}, the grandson of Shah
Waliullah Muhaddith Dehlawi {May Allah have mercy on him}, and the nephew of Shah Abdul
Aziz Muhaddith {May Allah have mercy on him}, Shah Rafiuddin Muhaddith {May Allah have
mercy on him} and Shah Abdul-Qadir Muhaddith {May Allah have mercy on him}.In the vast
Indian subcontinent, no one else other than Shah Ismail perhaps enjoys such a high and
respectable pedigree in terms of knowledge and grace, teaching and instructing, writing and
compiling, lecturing and prompting guidance, reinvigorating and renewing the teachings of
religion, reviving Islam and reforming the Ummah. Very few people may have had a privilege of
getting such a rich and spectacular heritage. Shah Ismail Shaheed {May Allah have mercy on
him} not only lived up to the great reputation and enormity of his legacy, but he practically
furthered its splendor manifold times and added luster to it.
According to an authentic source, Shah Ismail {May Allah have mercy on him} was born on 12th
Rabi'ul-Awwal 1193 H (corresponding to 26th April 1779 G). It means that he was almost seven
years older than his religious preceptor and mentor, the Amir-ul-Muminin (the head of the
believers) Saiyid Ahmad Barailawi {May Allah have mercy on him}. The name of his mother
was Bibi Fatimah {May Allah have mercy on her}.1

] Mir Shahamat Ali, in the preface of his English translation of 'Taqwiyat ul-Iman, has mentioned his date of birth as
28th of Shawwall195 H. And has stated his mother's name as Fadeelat-un-Nisa (daughter of Moulvi Alauddin Phulti).
His maternal ancestry undoubtedly belonged to Phulat and his sister Bibi Ruqaiya's first marriage to his maternal
cousin Moulvi Kamaluddin did take place in Phulat itself, but the authentic statement regarding his date of birth and the
name of his mother is the one which is recorded in the 'text. We do not know about the source of his reference. He has
mentioned several other things in his biography which are incorrect.

The author refers to the Quranic verses and Ahadith by interpreting them in a very simple and comprehensible style, and also brings to light the true status of all the unlawful customs and rituals which are commonly practiced in the society and are detrimental to the faith of Tauhid. Tauhid Oneness of Allah is the basis of the Islamic religion.