1 THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: REVITALIZING THE CREATING POWER OF IQRA’ AND AMALUSHSHALIHAAT IN ISLAMIC TEACHINGS 1 Mashadi Said 2 Muhammad Sulhan 3 Abstract The fact is that from the standpoint of science and technology, today Muslims are left behind compared to the Westerners. In this modern age, the Westerners continue to create new products in science and technology, literature, law, politics, and so forth useful for our life. The glory of Islamic civilization started around the eighth century up to around the fifteeth ĐeŶtuƌLJ ǁas iŶspiƌed ďLJ the HolLJ QuƌaŶ. The fiƌst fiǀe ǀeƌses ĐoŶtaiŶ aŶ iŶstƌuĐtioŶ iqra; it is an instruction to us in order to make use of our mind, that is making sure the existence of the Almighty God, Allah, or faith and to do good deeds or amalushshalihaat. However, many Muslims still think that IƋƌa’ means reciting ƋuƌaŶ (reading without understanding the ŵeaŶiŶg of the ƋuƌaŶͿ. AŶotheƌ iŶstƌuĐtioŶ ŵeŶtiŶed aďout ϳϲ tiŵes iŶ the HolLJ QuƌaŶ is to do good deeds, i.e. amalushshalihaat. However, many Muslims still understand that amalushshalihaat means praying and other kinds of practices like charity rather than creating things that are useful for peoples life iŶ the ǁoƌld. With this condition, the Muslims should be made aware of revitilizing the meanings of iƋƌa’ and amalushshalihaat. Indeed, iƋƌa’ means more than reciting. It is an instruction to think up to a high level of thinking—creative and innovative thinking. In addition, amalushshalihaat is any deeds meaningful, valuable, and useful to facilitate our life. The aim of this paper is to shed some light upon three important questions: 1) What do iƋƌa’ and amalushshalihaat mean? 2) How to revitalize the creating power of IƋƌa’ and amalushshalihaat? 3) What are the thinking skills that should be trained to Muslim generations? Key Words: ThiŶkiŶg outside the ďodž, IƋƌa’, aŵilushshalihat INTRODUCTION Thinking outside the box is a metaphore which means that novel, innovative, and creative thinking. This metaphore was firstly introduced in the world of management which means approaching problems in 1 A Paper presented on June 20-21, 2014 at the 1st Academic Symposium on Integrating Knowledge (ASIK) conducted in collaboration with Learning Center of UIN Alauddin Makassar, Indonesia, Faculty of Education UTM Malaysia as well as support by Ibnu Sina Institute Malaysia and FMIPA State University of Makassar, Indonesia. 2 Mashadi Said is a Professor in Education at Azzahra University, Jakarta, Indonesia. 3 Muhammad Sulhan is a lecturer in Education at Indraprasta PGRI University, Jakarta, Indonesia.