Islamiyat · May / June 2025 · Paper 11 · Question 2
0493
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2(a)[10]
Messengers Jesus (‘Isa) and Muhammad (pbuh).
Use the AO1 Levels of Response.
Candidates should include some of the following points. All other relevant points must be credited.
Candidates can use any number of passages to write about but they should write with some detail about the relationship and not merely give general comments/themes about them.
Jesus (‘Isa) is referenced in 5.110. The passage begins with God asking Jesus to recount all the favours that he was blessed with, showing a special relationship with him and his mother.One of the favours was providing direct divine assistance through the holy spirit, believed to be the Angel Gabriel in Islam.He was granted miracles to realise God’s status as Creator and his status as a prophet.God gave Jesus (‘Isa) miracles, relevant to his time, as a sign of His power over all things: ‘Isa spoke from the cradle as a child, gave life to the dead and healed the sick. These miracles were explicitly stated to be by God’s leave, showing that they came directly from Him.He was also given the Law and the Gospel to teach the people how to live their lives in accordance with God’s laws and was granted wisdom.God helps His prophets and those close to Him, and these favours were given to help Jesus (‘Isa) call people to God.God saved Jesus (‘Isa) from execution, which showed God’s love and protection for him.The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is referenced in passages 93, 96 and 108.The Prophet (pbuh) faced hardships like the other prophets, but God reminds him that He gave him blessings in this life and the next, which relieved the Prophet and gave him reassurance that God was looking after him.God gave him shelter, guidance and independence showing God’s love for him. He was given glad tidings of a better future. The Prophet (pbuh) was also instructed by God to be compassionate towards the poor and needy.God also gave him blessings in the form of Kawthar, a river in paradise. So, the Prophet (pbuh) was told to believe in God and tell his people about Him so they can also turn to Him when in need. The Prophet (pbuh) was also told that those who go against him and cause him pain will be punished by God, showing that the Prophet’s hardships did not go unnoticed by God.God sent the first revelation to the Prophet (pbuh) with the word Iqra (read) and bestowed prophethood on him to guide him and give him knowledge. The Prophet (pbuh) was to spread God’s message amongst the people by calling them to worship one God.2(b)[4]
To what extent do the stories of the Messengers help Muslims stay hopeful in difficult times?
Use the AO2 Levels of Response.
Candidates can give other examples and all relevant answers should be credited.
All humans go through hardships and challenges, just like the prophets did. It could be said that the stories of the prophets help people relate the lives of the prophets to their own lives and help them understand why they may be going through hardships. It may give them reassurance that they have difficulties, just as God’s messengers had difficulties, and in some ways that can make them close to God too.
The qualities displayed by the prophets, such as remaining steadfast, maintaining unwavering faith in God and patience in the face of suffering, can be used as inspiration for Muslims today who may face personal challenges and hardships. In this way, people know that if they continue to pray, worship and do good, then God will reward them, and they will get something better in return.
Candidates may also argue that prophets enjoyed certain favours from God, such as miracles, which Muslims today may not experience; it is therefore hard for Muslims now to take inspiration from the lives of the prophets. So, it is not always easy for Muslims today to understand that the tests they experience in life are beneficial, or that those tests can give them hope in their lives.
Describe the boycott of Muslims to Shi’b Abi Talib.
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