If that is thinking, in general, and a product of the thinking process together with its scientific outcome which we call ‘thought', then, we will stop around a fundamental cause which deals with the Islamic nation's life and its successive generation, as well as, in the life of human beings. That cause touches on Islamic thinking and thought, so what do we mean by each one?

A. Islamic Thinking

According to what we have said before about the definitions of ‘thought' and ‘thinking', it is suitable, here, to define ‘Islamic thinking', because every intellectual act and ideological activity has its method, and aims. Therefore, we have understood that thinking is no more than intellectual motion which starts from a known thing and ends in the discovery of an unknown one.

If this intellectual motion practises its role through the field of human knowledge like philosophy, jurisprudence, ethics, theology and theories of economics, politics, literatures, social psychology, philosophy of history and, etc., it will practise its action as follows:

1. It starts moving from a limited feature of principles and premises due to the ideological field that moves in it.

2. It moves according to a certain way and method that agrees with the thinker's view and his mode of thinking.

3. It ends up always with the ideological results of a limited identity and characteristic.

But, if that thinking process starts moving away from Islamic methods and premises or it harmonizes well with the Islamic line, as well as, moves in accordance with the Islamic thinking method; it aims at obtaining results according to these premises and modes of thinking that it depends on.

Moreover, it has its target on the results of thinking being of the Islamic identity and quality; so, this thinking will be an Islamic one. And as thinking does not go in line with those three Islamic principles, we cannot describe it as an Islamic thought because, it has started from non-Islamic premises and moved due to non-Islamic thinking methods and surely arrived at a non-Islamic consequence. So, we can define Islamic thinking as follows:

Any mindful motion that moves as a result of Islamic rules and aims at obtaining a committed Islamic thought.

B. Islamic Thought

After defining Islamic thinking, we can, then, define Islamic thought, thus: It is a group of knowledge and sciences that rely on principles and Islamic criteria. So, Islamic thought goes like this: It is produced by Islamic thinking that is in harmony with committed Islamic rules and criteria. And, by then, we will reach an essential conclusion with regard to a matter that gives full proof to both identity and feature of thought, culture, civilization and knowledge to be termed either as an Islamic or non-Islamic one; as it is incorrect to say that all things produced by Muslims are Islamic.

Whereas, only thought that is committed to Islam can be called Islamic. And this fact, also, can be applied to every artistic and literary product; as it has been applied in every mental product. But, nay! We do not apply a name to the literary product as an Islamic literature unless it is committed by values and Islamic criteria; besides, having the nature and spirit of Islam.

In addition, to this, we cannot call every art being performed by Muslim artists as an Islamic art unless it deals only with values and Islamic criteria, as well as, to display them in full expression. As the Qur'an says:

“(Receive) the baptism of Allah, and who is better than Allah in baptising? and Him do we serve” (2:138).