Abstract

The article examines the role of critical and creative thinking in preparing the new generation to respond to the challenges that threaten society today and in the future. Their relevance is justified by the fact that humanity lives in a constantly changing and interconnected global world, therefore, climate change, migration, international terrorism, financial crises, poverty, injustice and inequality challenge and threaten the world community as a whole. The authors affirm the thesis that in order to solve these problems, it is necessary that a generation comes with new solutions and alternatives, which must be prepared with the help of critical thinking skills. The article shows that the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet were the sources of critical thinking in the classical Islamic heritage, defines the basic concepts, reveals the essential features of critical and creative thinking in the exemplary life and in the teachings of al-Ghazali in the context of the prospects for the development of Islamic philosophy.

Key words: critical thinking, innovation, Islam, higher education, leadership, al- Ghazali.