Salaam, I’ve not heard of him before but here is something I just found about him on Houston University’s MSA page…
[quote]
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's mercy be upon 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 Abdul Wahhab, 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 Ralakot 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 honour and the integrity of his Faith could not tolerate the spectacle that Islam which has been chosen 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.
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Don’t believe everything people tell you. You know what our barelvi bros are like, anyone who disagrees with their polytheism and innovations becomes a Wahhabi/Kaafir/Gustaakh-e-Rasool etc.
PS. How did he insult the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)? Do you have references? I doubt it’s true.
