Scholarship has frequently overlooked the existence of Islamic Enlightenment in modern times — one that upholds the values of progress, individual freedoms, and tolerance. Scholars who did use the term generally did so cautiously and in a limited way, referring primarily to modernist voices in Turkey or in the Indian subcontinent. The Arab Middle East — the beating heart of Islamic civilization — has largely remained outside this discussion, partly due to the ideological radicalization within modern Islam, embodied in protest movements that were often perceived as adverse to modernity. The lecture reconsiders the existence of Islamic Enlightenment, mainly between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, exploring its features and withing historical and comparative contexts. Its findings reveal a complex and rich picture of a progressive discourse that drew inspiration from European Enlightenment philosophy, while advocating a more restrained version in the name of cultural authenticity and preservation of indigenous identities.