Book Review: Historicizing Sunni Islam in the Ottoman Empire, c. 1450–c. 1750

Abstract

The book examines Ottoman Sunnism’s evolution, orthodoxy, and spatial dimensions. Divided into three chapters, it critically engages with historical narratives, doctrinal debates, and socio-political dynamics shaping Ottoman Sunnism. Chapter I reevaluates Sunnī orthodoxy by tracing its historical dialogue with the past and the present. It examines the emergence of a new hadith culture in the sixteenth century, challenges conventional views through Shāhzādah Qorqud’s writings, explores the influence of Ibn Taymiyyah on Ottoman thought, redefines knowledge boundaries in Ottoman catechisms, and scrutinizes perceptions of heresy in Ottoman society. Moreover, Chapter II focuses on the spatial dimensions of Sunnitization, exploring how pious communities were constructed within urban institutions and convents. It investigates the transformation of spaces like the ʿimārah into mosques, the integration of Abdāl-affiliated convents into Khalwatī darwīsh networks, and the role of imāms in congregational prayers during the Ottoman Sunnitization era. Chapter III delves into the contextual and genre-specific nature of confessional politics, shedding light on the complexities of Sunnī-Shiʿī’ relations and Ottoman-Safavid diplomacy. It reexamines the portrayal of Qizilbash actors in Ottoman borderlands, evaluates Ottoman historical writing through the lens of Islamic history, and explores Islamic discourse in Ottoman-Safavid diplomatic exchanges.