The Great Debate

A Nineteenth-Century Defense of Christianity by a Renowned Muslim Convert

Ibn Hikmat

• Publisher: Langham Academic
• Year: 2026
• Print ISBN:
  9781786412782
• eBook ISBN:
  9781786412799
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Mawlw? 'Imad-ud-D?n Lahiz – a devout Sufi?Muslim convert, scholar and relentless seeker after the truth – holds an important place in the history of South Asian Christianity, particularly his role after the Great Agra Debate of 1854. Immersed in Urdu primary sources, Ibn Hikmat examines Lahiz's unique contributions to Christian-Muslim debates, especially on issues of abrogation, the textual integrity of the Bible, and the Trinity, Quran and Muhammad. This work challenges established narratives about the outcome of the Great Debate and broadens understanding of indigenous South Asian Christian theology. This well-presented argument for the theological impact of Lahiz meets a critical need in both historical and theological scholarship by recovering the voice of an indigenous South Asian Christian convert and challenges dominant, Western-centric narratives of nineteenth-century Muslim-Christian encounters.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Abstract
• Abbreviations
• Transliteration
• Part I: Setting the Stage
• Dedication
• Chapter One: Introduction
• Chapter Two: Mawlwī ‘Imād-ud-Dīn Lahiz: The Man and the Importance of His Conversion for Christian-Muslim ‘Munāzara’ in the Aftermath of Agra 1854
• Part II: ‘Imād-ud-Dīn’s Contribution to the Points Discussed at the Great Munāz̤ara
• Part III: ‘Imād-ud-Dīn’s Contribution to the Unfinished Agenda of the Munāz̤ara
• Part IV: Concluding Discussion
• Bibliography
• Appendix: Glossary of Terms
• About Langham Partnership
• Endnotes