Izhar al-Haqq

Izhar al-Haqq (The Manifestation of the Truth) is a comprehensive apologetic and polemical treatise on comparative religion and biblical criticism written by the Indian Hanafi scholar Rahmat Allah al-Hindi (d. 1308 AH / 1891 CE; also cited as 1306 AH / 1888 CE) to refute Christian missionary arguments against Islam Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1.

Background and Composition

The impetus for the work arose from the Christian missionary activities in British India, spearheaded by the missionary C.G. Pfander, author of Mizan al-Haqq (The Balance of Truth) Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah…+1. In Rajab 1270 AH (April 1854 CE), al-Hindi engaged Pfander in a renowned public debate in Akbarabad (Agra) Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah…+1. During the sessions, Pfander conceded the existence of textual alterations (tahrif) in multiple biblical passages and subsequently discontinued the debate Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah…+1.

Following his migration to Mecca, al-Hindi composed Izhar al-Haqq at the request of Ahmad Zayni Dahlan, the Shafi'i mufti and leading scholar of Mecca Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah…+1. He began writing on 16 Rajab 1280 AH and completed it by the end of Dhu al-Hijjah of that year (encompassing roughly six months of composition) Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah…+1. The Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz Khan and Grand Vizier Khayr al-Din Pasha al-Tunisi also patronized the author and supported the project after learning of the debate and its misrepresented outcomes Alam al-Hijaz fi al-Qarn …+1.

Structure and Content

The work is structured into an introduction and six main parts (abwab), reflecting the core topics of the interfaith disputation Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1:

• Textual Integrity and Alteration (al-Tahrif): Examining the Old and New Testaments, their historical transmission, discrepancies, and evidence of textual corruption across various recensions Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.
• Abrogation (al-Naskh): Demonstrating the rational and textual validity of abrogation within earlier scriptures and dispensations Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.
• The Trinity and Christology: Critiquing the doctrine of the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus on rational and scriptural grounds Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.
• The Quran: Establishing the divine origin, preservation, and inimitability (i‘jaz) of the Quran, while refuting Christian objections Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.
• Prophethood and Prophecies: Substantiating the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ, presenting eighteen scriptural prophecies from the Old and New Testaments concerning him, and detailing his life and miracles Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.
• Refutation of Objections: Responding systematically to Christian polemical attacks on Islamic doctrines, laws, and the historical expansion of Islam Manhaj Dirasat al-Adyan b…+1.

Method and Sources

Al-Hindi adopted a rigorous comparative and dialectical method (manhaj ilzami), arguing against his opponents directly from their own authoritative scriptures, commentaries, and ecclesiastical histories rather than asserting unsubstantiated external claims Juhud Ulama al-Muslimin f…+1. He compared ancient and modern editions and translations of the Bible—including Hebrew, Samaritan, Greek, and Arabic versions—highlighting internal contradictions, numerical errors, and translational shifts Juhud Ulama al-Muslimin f…+1. He integrated insights from Western biblical scholarship and Protestant commentaries, utilizing their acknowledgments of textual variants to establish his arguments Juhud Ulama al-Muslimin f…+1.

Reception, Translations, and Editions

Izhar al-Haqq was published in Istanbul in two volumes under Ottoman state sponsorship in 1281 AH (with later printings in 1284, 1304, and 1306 AH), followed by numerous editions in Cairo and Riyadh Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1. It gained wide acclaim among Muslim scholars as a foundational reference in modern Islamic polemics and comparative religious studies Fatawa al-Lajnah al-Daima…+1. A contemporary British newspaper was reported to have commented that if people continued reading the book, the spread of Christianity would come to a halt Nuzhat al-Khawatir wa Bah….

The Ottoman administration translated the book into Turkish under the title Ibraz al-Haqq (translated by Nuzhat Efendi al-Uthmani and Umar Fahmi Efendi, printed in 1293 AH), as well as into English, French, and German Mujam Tarikh al-Turath al…+1.

In modern scholarship, critical editions and summaries include:

• A four-part critical edition verified against the author's manuscripts by Dr. Muhammad Ahmad Abd al-Qadir Khalil Malkawi (published in Riyadh, 1410 AH / 1989 CE), who also prepared a one-volume abridgment titled Mukhtasar Izhar al-Haqq Izhar al-Haqq+1.
• A two-volume edition published by the Department of Religious Affairs in Qatar, edited by Dr. Umar al-Dasuqi and prefaced by Abu al-Hasan Ali al-Nadwi and others Alam al-Hijaz fi al-Qarn ….