Islamiyat · May / June 2016 · Paper 12 · Question 1

What are the main teachings?

(i)

Sura 42.4–5 The main themes are that His Majesty and greatness is being confirmed; God is the Creator; forgiveness and guidance are given from God to humanity. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g. saying the heavens are almost torn apart due to His greatness above them; He is the owner of everything because He created it; the angels pray for the guidance of humans on earth, as it is God who is the forgiving, the merciful.

(ii)

Sura 93 The main themes are God as companion; He helps His prophets, in this case the Prophet Muhammad; it teaches being grateful to God. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g. it is God who helps in need, so when distressed, Muslims should turn to Him; this sura is directed to the Prophet himself showing how God helped him, in this case with shelter, guidance and independence; gives message of being kind and helpful to others in need, like orphans and beggars, and realising that a person’s benefits all come from thanking God.

(iii)

Sura 5.110 The main themes are God and His prophets; that humans need God; that God gives signs to humankind. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g. saying that God gives to His prophets to help them, in this case Jesus got the holy spirit, the Book and the wisdom, the Law and the Gospel; humans can do great things but only with God’s permission, ‘by my leave’; God gives humankind signs through prophets of His existence, which separates those who believe and those who don’t. These are examples candidates can write about; they should be credited for other, relevant answers. Candidates should show how the theme(s) they choose is distinctive in that passage. The best answers will have a few themes with development.

The importance of these themes

(i)

Sura 42.4–5 The importance here is that God tells humankind of His power and control over all things, so they should remember that they do not have any power in comparison. God is Merciful, even when Muslims have committed wrong actions, so Muslims have someone to turn to in times of need. As God is merciful to humankind, they in turn should be grateful and also try to be forgiving of others, even if they have been hurt or injured.

(ii)

Sura 93 These themes tell humans to not worry when others tease them; God gave blessings to the Prophet Muhammad, despite people saying that he had been forgotten by God. Muslims should look at their own lives to see their blessings and not think they have been given nothing; they should not constantly want more than what they have. They should be grateful to God through prayers, giving charity and helping those less fortunate than themselves and they should make people aware of the ways in which God helps them.

(iii)

Sura 5.110 These teachings reaffirm for Muslims the prophethood of Jesus and the power of God. Humans are capable of great feats but it is God who gives permission for these; moon landings, space travel, etc. Muslims should use these as signs of God’s grace, and believe in His power to control everything and allow things to happen. They should therefore remember Him often, by praying, supplicating or doing good deeds, etc., to ensure they are counted as believers. Candidates can mention other points with examples or personalising passages about their own/Muslims’ lives. This could take them higher up the levels.