Islamiyat Paper 11

What are the main teachings? (1)

Sura 1 The main themes are: the Lord of creation;

God gives guidance;

He is Merciful;

tawhid, God is One. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., saying it is God who presides over judgement and controls the worlds;

that God gives guidance to those who ask, which is a major theme in this sura;

this sura is used as a prayer;

He is the one to ask for forgiveness, and it is He who grants forgiveness to His humble servants;

His Oneness means only He is deserving of worship. (2)

Sura 96.1–5 The main themes are: God as Creator;

God as the Most Generous;

the first revelation/knowledge. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., God as Creator is shown in this sura through the way humans were created from a clot;

He gives creation what they need, in this case, knowledge of God;

importance of the first revelation is that it was the beginning of Islam and prophethood, and there’s an emphasis on seeking knowledge to learn about faith and God. (3)

Sura 114 The main themes are: God as refuge;

God as Lord;

God as Protector. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., saying that only He can help in times of need, in this case from jinn and men. Seek help only from Him;

He created everything so controls everything, even mischief makers. It’s a warning of those who whisper evil/bad ideas to humans, and then disappear and leave them on their own;

God is a protector from these things;

it is one of the suras of protection. 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. (1)

Sura 1 This is recited in every prayer. 'No prayer is accepted without Fatiha' It is a conversation with God and He is the Creator, and God is replying to each verse. Through it humans communicate with God. Muslims use this to ask for guidance (given in the Qur'an and sunna), for mercy and help, even outside the prayer. Submitting to God brings humbleness into lives, and because Muslims are accountable to God they pray to be guided on the straight path. (2)

Sura 96.1–5 Importance of this sura is that it allows humans to understand how God created them, and how He bestows knowledge upon them. Seeking knowledge is encouraged and so humankind should try their best to learn throughout their lives, especially religious knowledge so they can get to know their Lord. Each subject, RE, science, etc. has a value to it and can help humans get closer to God. It also helps Muslims understand how prophethood and Islam started and they should reflect upon what God has sent down for them to help them live their lives. So they should be grateful to God. (3)

Sura 114 Through these verses Muslims get to know the kind of evils/mischief they have to be wary of. This means they should be aware of what’s happening to them so they can recognise the signs of mischief. Praying and doing good deeds strengthens reliance on God. Reciting this sura with the other ‘qul’s’ is a source of protection. God is the King so it is Him who people should seek refuge with. Candidates can mention other points with examples or personalising passages to their own/Muslims’ lives, could take them higher up the levels.

Adam (2.30–37): Adam was the first human to be created by God. God had told the angels He would place a representative on earth, and the angels asked why, if he will only make mischief unlike the angels who only glorify God. When God spoke to Adam, he taught Him and gave him knowledge of things that the angels did not know. God gives knowledge to whom He wills. It shows the superiority of humans over angels due to what they know, and so it stresses the importance of gaining knowledge. God also told Adam that he and his wife should live in the Garden but they were not to touch a specific tree. Satan, who was jealous of Adam and had refused to bow to him, came to tempt Adam and his wife into eating from the tree. He is from the mischief makers who whisper evil into the minds/hearts of humans. God sent Adam and his wife to live on earth. Adam realised his mistake and through this event turned to God for forgiveness. And God, because He is the most merciful, turned towards Adam, meaning He forgave Him. This passage tells Muslims about the favours God gives his prophets. He gives them knowledge for guidance, and He forgives when people turn to Him in repentance. Jesus (5.110): Jesus/Isa was given special miracles which helped him understand the power of God. God asked Jesus to recount the blessings that God had given him and his mother (Maryam), showing that God gives his prophets favours to help them in their lives. God then gives a list of the things He has given Jesus, and the benefits of those favours: He was given the holy spirit which allowed him to speak to the people as a child and when he was older. He was also taught the Law and the Gospel to teach the people how to live their lives in accordance to God’s laws. He was also able to give life to the dead and heal the sick, by the will of God. He also protected Jesus from the unbelievers who accused Jesus of magic and did not believe His powers were a sign of God’s majesty. This all showed Jesus the favours he was given by God which allowed him to believe in Him and follow Him.

Muslims can serve God on earth by understanding and fulfilling their obligation to Him, primarily through praying and fulfilling the five pillars, and by not disobeying His commands. They should be grateful to Him for what He has given them, food, shelter, clothing, and thank Him. This can be done by praying, reciting Qur’an, being generous to others, helping those in need, e.g. by feeding the poor, giving gifts and charity. They should also look after the provisions God has given them, whether it be the food and the environment it grows in, the knowledge He gives for guidance or the people who are in a person’s life for their help and wellbeing, e.g. by not wasting food or eating too much, by learning something and teaching others, by respecting teachers and colleagues. These are just some examples, candidates can use their own.

Write about the way in which the Prophet interacted with non-Muslims after his move to Madina. [10]

Candidates could write about how the Prophet (pbuh) made a constitution for the citizens of Madina (Charter of Madina), including non-Muslims, about their rights and responsibilities as part of the community. Non-Muslims had the following rights: equal political and cultural rights, autonomy and freedom of religion;

they would fight with the Muslims against the enemy of the community and have the same responsibilities in war as others. The Prophet (pbuh) engaged in commercial dealings with them and gave and received help from them. He sometimes borrowed money from Jews and also arranged for loans from them for some of his companions: one day a Jew caught hold of the cloth the Prophet(pbuh) was wearing and demanded that he repay the loan he had taken from him. ‘Umar, got angry with the Jew and scolded him. The Prophet (pbuh) then ordered that the loan be repaid to the Jew, and because ‘Umar had scolded him the Prophet (pbuh) insisted that he be given more money than what he had actually been owed. Not everyone was happy with the Prophet’s (pbuh) leadership of Madina and individuals from among the non-Muslim clans plotted to take the Prophet’s (pbuh) life. Two of the tribes – the Banu Nadir and the Banu Qaynuqa - were eventually exiled for breaking the treaty and for the consequent danger they posed to the new Muslim community. The Banu Qurayza also broke their treaty by siding with the Quraysh at the Battle of the Trench. They were dealt with in accordance to their own laws, which meant that many of them were put to death. Candidates could also mention that the Prophet (pbuh) sent letters to various non-Muslim rulers inviting them to Islam. The Christians of Najran visited the Prophet (pbuh) in Madina to talk to him and ask questions. They then signed a peace treaty. The Prophet (pbuh) allowed them to pray their prayers in the mosque. Candidates could also talk about his treatment of non-Muslims at the Conquest of Makka but this should not take up the bulk of the answer.

How can Muslims now apply the lessons learnt from the Prophet’s interaction with non-Muslims? [4]

Non-Muslims were respected by the Prophet (pbuh) and invited to Islam. If they did not accept it they were left to live their lives freely under their own faith. Muslims now can learn from this by inviting non-Muslims to Islam by teaching them about the essentials of faith. If they do not want to accept Islam then they should not be harassed or hurt, but rather respected and looked after. Muslims who kill people from other faiths because they do not believe in Islam, are going against the example of the Prophet (pbuh). Muslims should also enter into agreements with non-Muslims to ensure both sides live amicably and do not have their freedoms taken away by the other side. This allows both parties to know where they stand and do not have to live in fear. Candidates can offer their own examples, and valid answers should be credited.

The Battle of Badr took place in the second year after the hijra. Describe the main events of this battle. [10]

It was fought in 2AH (624);

the Prophet (pbuh) and a group of around 300 men set off to intercept a caravan led by Abu Sufyan;

they had 2 horses and 70 camels;

Abu Sufyan sent word to the Quraysh and an army of 1300 men was gathered;

Abu Sufyan slipped past the ambush and sent word to the Quraysh to go back but Abu Jahl insisted they continue;

some left leaving 1000 soldiers;

the Prophet (pbuh) consulted his companions and they went to meet the Quraysh army at Badr;

it rained heavily that night;

the Muslims camped near a water well;

the next day the battle started and ‘Ali, Hamza and ‘Ubaidah went out to fight and won their duels;

the Prophet (pbuh) prayed continuously for the success of the believers;

God sent down angels to help (3:123–125);

the Prophet(pbuh) threw some dust which caused a sandstorm (sura 8:17);

the Makkans saw the Muslims as few in number while the Quraysh looked few in number to the Muslims;

eventually the Makkans ran off;

Abu Jahl was killed;

fourteen Muslims were killed and 70 from the Quraysh while 70 were taken prisoner;

the prisoners were treated well, and some paid a ransom for their freedom, by either paying money or teaching ten people how to read and write;

Bilal is said to have killed his former master. Candidates should elaborate on the points above to get to the higher levels.

Can those involved in present day conflicts learn any lessons from the way the Prophet treated prisoners after battles? [4]

In modern day conflicts the lessons from the Prophet’s (pbuh) example are to treat prisoners of the enemy’s side is to look after them and not humiliate them. If they have a positive use, such as educating others, then they should be used for benefit. However no harm should come of them. Candidates should relate this to any modern conflict and the stories that are reported of prisoners and how they are treated.

Give an account of the difficulties experienced by the early Muslim community in Makka. [10]

For the first few years the Prophet (pbuh) preached the message in secret. Initially only a handful of Muslims accepted Islam, the main ones being Khadija, Zaid, ‘Ali and Abu Bakr, who in turn brought many people to Islam including, ‘Uthman, Zubair ibn Awwam, and Talha. Other early converts were Bilal, Abu ‘Ubaida, Abu Salamah. Prayer was established morning and evening. They would pray and practise their faith in secret, often praying in the mountains. After the revelation to warn his nearest relatives (26.214), the Prophet (pbuh) took to Mount Safa and invited the Quraysh to follow Islam publicly. They rejected him and feeling threatened by the new message, because they could not dissuade the Prophet (pbuh) from preaching it, they started to persecute the Muslims. Those who had no protection were easy targets and felt the worst of the persecution. Bilal was severely beaten by his master Umayah bin Khalaf;

‘Ammar bin Yasir, and his parents, were made to lie on the burning sand – both his parents were martyred;

‘Uthman in Affan was wrapped in palm leaves and set fire to by his uncle;

Khabab bin al-Arat was made to lie on burning coal with a rock on his chest. Due to the severity of the persecutions, the Prophet (pbuh) told the believers to meet secretly at Dar al-Arqam, where they would learn about their new faith. Also because of the persecutions, the Prophet (pbuh) allowed some people to migrate to Abyssinia. Later a social and economic boycott was imposed on the Muslims and they were to live in Shib-i-Abi Talib, where they faced great hardships for many years. Good answers will be able to present their narratives in a clear and comprehensive and give depth to the above points;

candidates should not write about the Prophet’s (pbuh) persecution.

Drawing from this account, what advice could be given to Muslims now living in fear of persecution? [4]

Candidates can give a number of answers, but should qualify their answers with reasoning. Simply stating that e.g. Muslims should be steadfast and patient is not enough for the higher levels. They could say, e.g. that living in a situation where their family may not want them to practise their faith, to pray, fast or wear hijab, they can try to conceal their faith and practise it where they can and in secret. Or they could say that if they are being persecuted by the wider community for their beliefs, they could migrate to a safer place where they would be accepted and allowed to live in freedom. It is not going to be an easy journey, but the early Muslims did not go back on their decision. These are some examples, other relevant answers should be credited.