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Abstract

During the eighteenth century, the Indian subcontinent became a center of intense religious and intellectual challenges for Muslims. In response, a distinct approach to writing the Prophetic biography emerged—one grounded in Islamic theology (Ilm al-Kalam). This method was not limited to narrating events but aimed to affirm the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ status, defend the concept of prophethood, and address objections raised by both internal groups—such as certain sectarian movements—and external actors like Orientalists and Christian missionaries. This study examines how prominent scholars of the era, including Shah Waliullah al-Dihlawi, Shah Abdul Aziz, and Ahmad ibn Irfan al-Shahid, employed theological reasoning alongside transmitted tradition to frame the biography in a way that reinforced essential beliefs. Central doctrines such as infallibility, revelation, miracles, and the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ were emphasized. Through a historical-analytical approach, the research analyzes selected writings that represent this trend. It argues that this theological perspective served as a powerful tool in protecting the Prophetic narrative from distortion and played a key role in strengthening Islamic belief systems amid the evolving intellectual landscape of that time.