Reassembling the Parts: What Awaits Us in the New Version of the Islamic Thought Atlas?

Some works are such that people only look at the final product; they often remain unaware of the writing process behind it or the conceptual framework that shaped it. The Atlas of Islamic Thought is a project born out of the hard work and imagination of many collaborators. For such endeavors to be conceived, individuals grounded in reality are essential.

When I gained access to the history of this atlas, I encountered an experience that never reached the press. Who could have guessed that the vision and writing framework of this atlas would emerge from a camp held on a mountain in Kocaeli? I too was surprised when I first heard it. Yet this was the truth: a collective effort of like-minded minds. The idea was conceived in Istanbul, and its foundation was laid during a camp set up on a mountain in Kocaeli. Naturally, the fruits of such an endeavor were expected to be abundant.

In this regard, the atlas aims to read the history of Islamic thought as a continuous tradition, offer a new periodization, and re-examine our collective memory in all its components. It invites us to rewrite and research the lost centuries and geographies of Islamic civilization. It provides the opportunity to rediscover our vanished past, reassemble the fragments of our inherited heritage, and explore our great tradition. In doing so, it presents a dynamic, ongoing, and holistic history of Islamic thought from the past to the present, making visible in detail the Islamic tradition long ignored by Eurocentric perspectives.

The new edition of the Atlas of Islamic Thought, whose first three volumes were published in 2017, has been completed. Edited by Professor Dr. İbrahim Halil Üçer and prepared with contributions from the Scientific Studies Association (İlem) and the Culture Directorate of Konya Metropolitan Municipality, the atlas has been republished in six volumes following five years of intensive work by an expanded team.

According to Professor Dr. İbrahim Halil Üçer, who led the project, this endeavor began with the following motto:

“A present that has lost its historical memory is empty, devoid of interest and curiosity toward the present, and blind to historical understanding; a present without vision of the future is directionless. To restore health to our current mode of thinking, we bring the inventory of the past into the present and place it before the effort of critical interpretation.”^【1】

This statement clearly shows that the atlas is not merely a compilation of information but also an initiative to construct a new intellectual mindset.

In the new edition, the information from the first edition has been significantly expanded. Western-oriented orientalist periodizations have been abandoned, and a coherent, objective, dynamic, and continuous periodization of Islamic thought has been developed based on its own internal dynamics. Many sections and entries from the previous edition have been expanded and updated. New sections, such as the history of visual arts and miniature painters, have been added.

One of the most notable contributions of the new edition is the inclusion of the jurisprudential tradition and the introduction of approximately three hundred jurists. Jurisprudence occupies a central place among theoretical traditions and is indispensable for understanding the full scope of Islamic thought. Accordingly, articles have been prepared examining the historical evolution and transformation of the science of jurisprudence, revealing how its character changed in each era. New additions have also been made in the fields of philosophy of language, kalam, and ethics.

In the sixth volume, new periodizations are introduced. The “Era of Inquiry and Accountability” has been expanded and offered with a fresh perspective. In this way, the atlas presents a new “contemporary Islamic thought” perspective. It also reflects the emphasis on unity among the sciences.

Moreover, compared to the previous edition, the atlas is now supported by comprehensive maps, charts, and videos. Its open-access website (www.islamdusunceatlasi.org) has been completely updated and equipped with mobile interfaces.

Every work may have some flaws, however minor. As someone who contributed entries to this atlas, I can say from within: many of the entries here may be found in greater detail in other encyclopedias. Yet the true value of the atlas lies not in the individual content of its entries but in the cohesive picture they collectively form.

The atlas assembles its entries like pieces of a puzzle to reveal the overall picture. In this way, it presents a comprehensive landscape of the history of Islamic thought.

During the printing process of the new edition, questions arose from those who had acquired the first edition: “What will happen to the old version?” While these concerns are understandable, as with all major atlas projects, this work has produced a second edition. Indeed, the Encyclopedia of Islam has reached its third edition, and the Turkish Encyclopedia of Islam its second. Knowledge is constantly renewed; new works and new approaches bring new information.

Among those who have received the new edition, the question has emerged: what if a future version expands to ten or twelve volumes? However, based on the information I have, the next version will not be printed; instead, a digital structure will be preferred, continuously updated with new information via the website.