The Thought and Movements in Muslim Societies Project was launched in 2021 by İLKE Foundation for Science, Culture, and Education to investigate the transformations, questions, developments, orientations, interactions, and discussions present on the agenda of the Muslim world. The project aims to track and analyze these developments and to inform academics, intellectuals, political figures, and religious elites in Turkey about these discussions within the broader context of the Muslim world.

When discussing Islamic movements or Islamic organizations, the term generally refers to movements and organizations motivated by or aligned with Islamism. However, at İLKE Foundation, we adopt a more inclusive approach in the Thought and Movements in Muslim Societies Project by focusing on Muslim movements and organizations instead. Additionally, we use the term "Muslim societies" instead of "Muslim countries" in the project title, thereby incorporating Muslim movements and organizations operating in non-Muslim countries within the scope of our study.

We define thought as the intellectual foundation, consciousness, and attitudes that shape the interpretation of the world within Muslim societies. We consider the written and oral intellectual efforts produced by the Muslim world as a form of intellectual action and systematically track these contributions. In line with this perspective, we examine the activities of civil society organizations, think tanks, universities, and academic institutions, thereby presenting a comprehensive profile of the Muslim world's intellectual landscape.

We define Muslim movements within this project as civil society movements, educational movements, human rights movements, resistance movements, and revivalist movements that operate with an intellectual motivation. Our research focuses on their intellectual efforts, as well as the solutions and prescriptions they propose in response to contemporary social, political, and economic challenges.