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Past Papers
Day 08 (PAPER 02)
M/J 2019 (21)
4(a) Write about the following:
• The benefits of private prayer (du’a) in a Muslim’s life.
• The times when God is thought most likely to accept du’a. [10]
Marking scheme:
• du’a is the act of remembering God and calling upon Him.
Through du’a Muslims call upon God for forgiveness, guidance and strength.
Du’a can be made to seek help from God in a believer’s personal matters or to protect, guide or bless a relative etc.
• The opportune moments of the acceptance of du’a are given as:
While travelling; While sick or visiting the sick; Late night (last third of the night); Whilst in sujood; Between
the adhan and the iqama; While experiencing injustice and oppression; When a parent is making du’a; On the
Day of Arafat; During Ramadan/or during nafl fasts.
How to answer:

Answer (Learn and write):

• Invocation (duʿāʾ) is a prayer of supplication or request. Muslims regard this as a profound act of
worship. Prophet Muhammad pbuh said, "Dua is the very essence of worship.” The word dua in
Arabic means calling. It is the act of remembering Allah and calling Him.
• Aside from the obligatory five daily prayers, Muslims are encouraged to call upon Allah for
forgiveness, guidance, and strength throughout their lives.
• It is considered a way by which we can change our situation by asking the help of Almighty Allah. Dua can
change destiny so try Dua in all situations because with Dua, you will always get closer to Almighty Allah.
• Dua is essentially a submission to the Creator and a demonstration of a person’s need for Allah. Allah says in
the Holy Qur’an: “When my servants ask you about me, (tell them), I am really close to them, I listen to
the prayer of each supplicant when he invokes me.” (2: 186).
• These personal supplications or prayers (dua) can be made in their own words and in any language.
• One can pray privately for one’s own affairs, to protect, guide, help, bless a relative, friend or even
the entire Ummah.
• Allah is not a distant or remote Being, uncaring or indifferent to the calls of His Creation. In fact, He
is Rahman and Raheem, and One who answers the sincere and true prayers of His believers.
• The Prophet (P.B.U.H) is reported to have said, “Allah does not turn away, empty-handed, the
one who calls upon Him in prayer.”
• Muslims can call upon and supplicate their Creator wherever and however they may be, but it is
recommended that one supplicating in earnest, it is better to be in a state of wudu, facing the qiblah,
and, ideally, while in sujood (prostration), in humility before Allah.
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• Muslims may recite dua before, during and or after formal prayer, or may recite them at various
times throughout the day. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “Whoever desires that Allah respond
to his Duas under adverse and difficult conditions, he should make Dua abundant in the days
of ease and comfort.”
Times of Dua:
There are few specific moments in life, when a Muslim’s dua is especially accepted. These opportune
moments of the acceptance of dua are given blow:
• While travelling.
• While sick or visiting the sick.
• Late at night (last third of the night).
• While prostrating (sujood)
• Between the Azaan and the iqamat.
• While experiencing injustice or oppression.
• On the Day of Arafat.
• During Ramadan/or during nafl fasts.

4(b) How does du’a bring a believer closer to God? [4]

Du’a is direct communication between the believer and his Creator. When a believer opens his heart to
God and asks for His mercy and bounty there are no barriers between them. In this way,, we are getting
closer to our Lord. Thus, Dua is a source of rapprochement of the supplicant to Allah the Almighty . Rather
than treating it as a ritual that is performed almost robotically without thought or meaning, the foundation
for dua is the faith that our Creator hears our every word, knows our every thought and every deed that
we have enacted. Even if we cannot express the words, our hearts will reveal what we are trying to say.
The Qur’an states: “Your Lord says, ‘Call on Me and I will answer you’.” (Surah Ghafir Qur’an 40:60)

5(a) Describe how Muslims observe the fast of Ramadan and how this month should be
spent. [10]
Marking scheme:
A descriptive account of how the Ramadan fast should be observed should be given here.
• Fasting starts with the sighting of the moon of Ramadan.
• Intention is made for observing the fast
• as per the Sunna of the Prophet (pbuh) sahur/sehri before dawn is taken and
• the fast ends with the adhaan of maghrib.
During the fast a Muslim:
• should not eat or drink
• should avoid anything forbidden or makruh
• must not engage in violence or anger
• must abstain from marital relations
• must spend as much time as possible in reading the Qur’an; prayer; supplication and remembrance
of God
• must give zakat and other charity as much as possible
• should spend time in reflection in how to improve one’s moral and spiritual conduct
• can open the fast by sharing one’s iftar with others
• can offer additional prayers.
All the above points can be expanded upon to develop the answer.
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How to answer:

Answer (Learn and write):

Method of Fasting
• Fasting during the month of Ramadan is obligatory on all Muslim adults, male and female. The Quran
says, “ O you who believe ! Fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed to those before you, so
that you may learn self restraint.” [2:183]
The hours of fasting are from first light (before dawn) until sunset.
It is desirable to have a meal before keeping a fast till dawn which is referred as Sehri.
Muslims should make an intention for the fast i.e. “I intend to keep this fast of Ramadan.”
• With this, a person is subject to all restrictions and prohibitions associated with a fast till the setting of
the sun. Muslims must abstain from food, drink etc. during daylight hours. They should also refrain from
smoking, sexual intercourse, medicines etc. This is known as Imsak.
They should live their lives as normal, making no concessions to lack of food. Muslims should be
particularly pious and visit mosques regularly. They should also refrain from evil actions. Prophet
(p.b.u.h) said, “Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his
leaving his food and drink.”
• Muslims break their fast with a meal at sunset in the evening reciting the prayer, “O Allah! I fasted for
you and I believe in you and I put my trust in you and with the sustenance you have given me, I now
break the fast.” This is known as Iftar. Many Muslims follow the Holy Prophet (PBUH)’s example of
taking a drink and eating a date and then pray. They follow this with a meal often eaten with friends.
Muslims should try to be present at recitations of the Holy Quran in the tarawih prayers during the course
of the month.
Rules of Fasting
• This to be conscious of keeping your mind and body clean, by avoiding wasting time useless pursuits, by
being conscious of eating only halal foods at sehri and iftar and to keep one’s tongue free of all verbal
sins like gossiping and swearing.
• Display of danger, aggression and violence is forbidden during the month of Ramzan, especially when
one is fasting. One should show patience and forbearance towards others and control one’s temper and
tongue.
• More time should be spent in the recitation of the Quran, trying to complete the whole Quran at least
once during this month. Prophet (P.B.U.H) said, “Everything has a best season and the best season of
the Quran is Ramzan.”
• Being punctual regarding salat, making an effort to attend tarawih prayers, and spending as much time as
possible in worship is recommended. One should also, whilst fasting, keep busy in the dhikr of Allah,
practice taubah and seek Allah’s forgiveness. Praying during the nights of Qadr foe oneself and other are
activities that Muslim should observe during the fast and in the month of Ramzan. In Sura Baqarah Allah
states: “And when my servants asks you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the
prayer of the supplicant when he calls upon Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me
That they may walk the right way.”(2:186)
• Be very charitable and generous, help the needy and the poor, participate in social and community
welfare projects etc.
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• maintain cordial relations with all. Forget your quarrels and reconcile your difference in this month; do
not be involved in backbiting anything that is wrong. Be good to all.
• Ramzan is the month of reflection think, reflect, and plan to improve your moral and spiritual conduct.
Think how u can be better Muslim, and convert those thoughts into actions. Think how u can contribute
to the betterment of the Ummah and the world at large.

5(b) What is the purpose of fasting during the month of Ramadan? [4]
According to Quran, the purpose of fasting in Ramadan is to develop self-restraint. Fasting brings a
person closer to Allah, Allah says, “. Fasting is like a shield, and he who fasts has two joys: a joy when
he breaks his fast and a joy when he meets his Lord.” (Hadis Qudsi) Believers are ordered to observe
fast to be near Allah and gain piety. Fasting strengthens the spiritual powers of the believer; it protects
from all kinds of temptations. It helps in building up moral character. As Muslims fast, they should
control own temper, they should remain calm and refrain from harming others, verbally or physically.
They should also refrain from backbiting, stealing, cheating , gossip, lies, obscenity, vulgarity and
physical, mental and spiritual sins.
M/J 2019 (22)
2(a) Write an account of the compilation of Hadiths during the period of the Successors of
the Successors (tabi’ altabi’in). [10]
Marking scheme:
This period is considered as the Golden Age of Hadith compilation and many hundreds of thousands of Hadiths were
compiled by the Successors of the Successors. During this period, Hadith scholars established rules of Matn and Sanad
to sift through the Hadiths to categorise them and include them in their collections.
A large number of jurists combined the two categories of musnad and musannaf in the form of sunan / sahih books.
A sunan was organised topic-wise and thus could be easily used as legal reference, and it focussed on Ahadith-e-
Nabavi with full isnads.
Foremost amongst the jurists at this time were Bukhari and Muslim. They broke away from the tradition of using weak
Hadiths in law and their collections were devoted only to Hadiths whose isnads met with the requirements of
authenticity.
The collections of Bukhari and Muslim became the most famous books of Hadith collection called the Sahihayn
(literally meaning the two Sahihs). Bukhari devoted sixteen years of his life to sifting the Hadiths he included in his
Sahih from a pool of 600 000 narrations. The finished work was a massive expression of Bukhari’s vision of Islamic law
and belief. Backed with Hadiths, the author felt the most rigorous standards of authenticity were met.

Muslim’s Sahih contains fewer chapters and lacks Bukhari’s legal commentary. Muslim kept all narrations of a certain
Hadith in the same section but without the commentary reports from Companions and later figures. Their work had
a great influence on their students and contemporaries. Candidates can go on to give the names and collections of
the other muhaddithun of this time to develop their answer. Four books in particular attained great renown and
together with the Sahihay have come to be known as the Sahih Sitta. The names of these four books with some detail
about them and
a brief account of the Shi’a collections that are comparable to the Sahih Sitta could be given by candidates to develop
their answer.
Clarity of the points in the answer and their development will help the candidates get to the higher levels.
How to answer:
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Answer (Learn and write)

From the early third to the early fourth century A.H, a large number of scholars compiled hadiths. This period
that followed the Successors of the companions is considered the golden age of Hadith compilation.
Hundreds of thousands of hadiths were compiled by the Successors of the Successors in the form of Sunan
/ Sahih/ Musannaf books.
A sunan was organized topic wise and thus could easily be used as a large reference and it focused on
Hadith Nabvi (Prophetic Hadith) with full isnad. The scholars who compiled the sunnan, devoted great efforts
in ensuring the authenticity of its contents and only used Hadiths that were proven authentic.
This emphasis on authenticity led many of the collections produced in the sunan movement to be called sahih
books by the authors or the Muslims readers.
Foremost amongst the Muhadditheen(scholars) were Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari
(d.870) and his student Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d.875). Their books were the first of ‘sahih movement’.
The Sahihayn (the two sahihs) of Bukhari and Muslim became the most famous books of Hadith in sunni
Islam.
1. Sahih of Bukhari:
It was compiled by Muhammad bin Ismail al-Bukhari. He devoted 16 years to sifting the Hadiths that
he included in his Sahih(Bukhari) from a pool of 600000 hadiths. It contains 97 chapters according
to topics. There are 7397 full Hadiths with full isnad in Sahih of Bukhari however, these would only
be 2762 if the repetitions are excluded. Sunni Muslims regard it as the most authentic collection of
Hadith.
2. Sahih of Muslim:
It was compiled by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj.He traveled widely to gather his collection of ahadith and
Out of 300,000 hadith 9200 were accepted as authentic. There are a total of 2,200 hadiths without
repetition. It contains 54 chapters and does not have legal commentary like Bukhari. Muslims kept
all narrations of a certain hadith in the same section but without the commentary reports from
companions and later figures.
Other participants in the Sahih movement also focused on hadith with strong and reliable isnad but they also
included some weaker hadiths because they were widely used among jurists or because the authors. Four of
these books attained great renown:
3. Sunan of Abu Daud:
He was a close student of Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. He collected 500,000 hadith in 20 years research, but
included only 4,800 in this collection.He made a series of journeys to meet most of the foremost
traditionists of his time and acquired from them the most reliable hadiths, quoting sources through
which it reached him. He collected hadiths which no one had ever assembled together.
4. Jami of Tirmizi:
He was a disciple of Bukhari.It contains 3,956 Ahadith, and has been divided into 50 chapters
according to topics.His method was that of placing the heading first, then mentioning one or two
Ahadith which were related to the heading. His book bears the distinction of being one of the
oldest texts dealing with the difference of opinion amongst the various law schools. It also includes
detailed discussion of their authenticity
5. Sunan of al-Nasai:
He was a student of Bukhari It has about 5,270 hadiths, including repeated narrations. It contains 52
chapters. It contains the fewest da‘eef (weak) hadiths among the six books after Sahih al-
Bukhari & Sahih Muslim There is not a single mawdhoo (fabricated) hadith in it.
6. Sunan of ibn Majah:
It was compiled by Ibn Mājah. It is widely considered to be the sixth of the six collection of Ḥadīth .
7. It consists of 4341 ahadith in 37 chapters.It includes 1339 additional aḥādīth, which are not found in
the other five major books of Ḥadīth.
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These four books together with the Sahihayn of Bukhari and Muslim have come to be known as the
SihahSitta. ‘The Six Sound Collections’. With their compilation the Shaih/ Sunan movement and the Hadith
tradition reached its climax.
Shia Collections
Like Sunni Muslims Shia Muslims also accepted Hadiths as source of understanding the Quran and as
guidance in everyday matters. They however, only consider those Hadiths as most reliable that based on the
authority of Hazrat Ali and the twelve imams, who are the descendants of Hazrat Fatima and Hazrat Ali. The
prominent Shia collections are:
1. Al-Kafi fi ilm al-din (The sufficient book) is a Shia collection of Hadith compiled by the Abu
JafarMuhammad ibn Yaqub al-Kulayni. It has three sections Usul al Kafi which is related to
history morals and ethics prayers and worship and the Quran, Furu al-Kafi which is about with
practical and legal issues and Raudat al-Kafi which includes various Hadiths transmitted from the
imams. Altogether al-Kafi comprises over 16000 Hadiths.
2. Man la yahduruhu al-Faqihis a Shia Hadith collection by the famous scholar Abu Jafar Muhammad
ibn Ali ibn Babuyah al Qummi commonly known as ibn Babuyah or Al shaykh al-Saduq. This
collection has just over 9000 Hadiths.
3. Tahzib al-Ahkam has been compiled by the shia scholar Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Hassan Tusi
commonly known as sheikh Tusi. This work comprises close to 13600 Hadiths.
4. Al-Istibsar is a Hadith collection also by sheikh Tusi. It includes the same topics as Tahzib al-Ahkam
but in a shorter from.
All of these four collections were compiled during the period from the mid-fourth to mid-fifth centuries Hijri.
2(b) Why do you think the chain of narrators (isnad) of a Hadith is given so much
importance in establishing its genuineness? [4]

3(a) Mu‘awiya was opposed to ‘Ali’s caliphate. Give reasons for his opposition and write
an account of the Battle of Siffin which resulted from this opposition. [10]
Battle of Siffin [Detailed account]
After his election as khalifa, Ali deposed Muawiya from the governorship of Syria. Muawiya, however,
refused to vacate the office .Under his influence, no one in Syria took The oath of allegiance to the new
khalifa. In order to undermine the authority of Ali, Muawiya started a campaign to instigate the people against
him. He raised a cry for a revenge for the blood of Hazrat Usman and displayed the blood-stained cloths of
Usman and the fingers of Usman’s wife Naila in the mosque at Damascus. He went so far as to accuse Ali of
being an accomplice in the murder of Usman.
He said that the election of Ali was illegal as it was held under the pressure of rebels who had assassinated
the 3rd Caliph. When Talha and Zubair were killed in the battle of Camel at Basra, Muawiya presented them
as martyrs who had laid down their lives in seeking revenge for the blood of Usman. He also criticized Ali
for the ill-treatment of Hazrat Aisha.
As a result, not only Syria, but Iraq and Iran also were won over by this propaganda. After the election of Ali,
within a year, Muawiya gained enough strength to take up offensive against the khalifa. Ali did not wish that
Muslims should fight among themselves. so he wrote to Muawiya that since the people who had elected Abu
Bakr, Umar and Usman had accepted him as khalifa, Muawiya and his followers must also accept him as
such. Otherwise they should be ready to face the consequences meaning a war. Muawiya’s reply was that Ali
must first hand over Usman’s assassins to him before further negations.
When war between Ali and Munawiya became inevitable, preparations for a battle were made by both the
sides. The khalifa managed to raise any army of eighty to ninety thousand. Muawiya also with a large army
of 50000 proceeded against him. Both the armies met at Siffin. The two armies that camped at Siffin were the
largest armies so far assembled in the history of Islam. For several months, the rival soldiers remained facing
each other. Except occasional skirmishes, no decisive battle took place. Ali did not want to shed Muslim blood
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in vain. So he sent messengers to Muawiya asking him to submit in the interest of the unity of Islam. Muawiya
in reply demanded that the assassins of Usman should be punished first. Thereafter, all negotiations for peace
broke down and both the sides got ready for war.
The main battle began on the 8th of safar 37 A.H. On the fourth day, the position of Muawiya army began worsening
in order to avoid crushing defeat. Muawiya on the advice of Amr bin Aas, ordered the soldiers in the front ranks to
fasten the Quran to their lances as a sign that war should cease now. They cried out ‘Let the word of Allah decided
between us and you. Who will defend the border towns of Syria if we are slain and who will protect the people of
Iraq after u are gone? Let the Book of Allah judge between you and us’
Ali wanted his men not to fall into this track, but to fight till the end. But his exhortations had no effect and
many officer of the army refused to fight. Some even said that if war was not stopped immediately they would
fight against Ali . He was compelled to recall his forces. Thereafter fighting stopped.
After the cessation of hostilities it was decided that the matter be referred to arbitration. Abu Musa Ashari
was appointed Arbitrate on behalf of Ali and Amr Bin Aas on behalf of Muwaiya. They were to settle the
dispute in accordance the holy Quran and suunah and announce their decision by the month of Ramzan. In
the meantime, all hostilities were to cease. After the signing of this agreement Ali left Siffian for kufa. Ali left
the battlefield of Saffin with a heavy heart. There were heavy casualties on the both the sides and he mourned
the dearth of so many Muslims. He had lost some of his best supporters. He felt distressed the only one
generation after the death of holy Prophet pbuh. The Muslim nation had lost its unity and its Islamic character.
The battle of saffin led to the birth of the first sect among the Muslim that came to be known as the kharijites.

3(b) In your opinion what was the most serious consequence of the outcome of this battle? [4]
The weakening of ‘Ali’s authority.
The emergence of the Kharijites;
The breakup of Muslim unity;
Ali’s martyrdom

4(a) Islamic teachings revolve around six main Articles of Faith. Write about the following
two:
• Belief in God, and
• Belief in angels. [10]
M/J 2013
4 (a) Outline the Muslim teaching about the belief in the oneness of God (tawhid). [10]
M/J 2016
5 (a) Muslims believe that God alone is Lord, that He alone should be worshipped and that His
names and attributes are unique to Him. Outline Muslim beliefs in the oneness of God. [10]
O/N 2020
4 (a) Write a detailed account of belief in:
• God as the Supreme Lord and Master of all creation;
• God alone is entitled to worship; and
• God is known by His most beautiful names and attributes. [10]
Marking scheme [Belief in God M/J 2016]:
Muslims believe in one God, Allah. This belief in the oneness of God is known as tawhid. This
belief is the core of Islam and all creation has to recognise the Creator, which is God, and submit
to his will. Tawhid has three aspects: Oneness of the Lordship of God; Oneness in Worship of
God; and Oneness in the names and qualities of God. In this answer, candidates need to name
these three aspects of Tawhid and explain them:
Oneness of the Lordship of God: There is only one Lord for the entire universe, that is God. He
is the Creator, Sustainer, Law giver and Master of the universe. He is neither the father nor the
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son of anyone. The main statement that every Muslim makes is ‘la ilaha illa Allah’, ‘there is no
God but Allah’. Candidates could give quotes from the Qur’an to expand on this aspect of tawhid.
Oneness in Worship of God: Since God is the Creator, he is the only one worthy of worship. It is
man’s primary duty and obligation to worship none other than him. Muslims must only pray,
invoke, and ask him for help. ‘You alone we worship and You alone we ask help from.’ (Ikhlas
112:2-3)
Oneness in the Names and Qualities of God: The belief includes: We must not name or qualify
God except with what he and his Messenger have named or qualified him with. None can be
named or qualified with the names or qualifications of God. Muslims must believe in all the
qualities of God which he has stated in his Book or mentioned through his Messenger; Muslims
believe in the divine attributes of God; these attributes are only inherent in God and this belief is
integral to Islam. Muslims are unable to describe God; however, the existence of God can be
realised through his manifestations and through his attributes as told by his messengers. Again,
candidates can quote from the Qur’an to develop the point further.
How to answer:

Answer [Learn and write]

It is an article of faith without which a Muslim’s faith is incomplete. It is mentioned in the Imaan-e-Mufassal,
which is: “I believe in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the last day and in the
fact that everything good or bad is decided by Allah, the Almighty, and in life after death”.
At the heart of Islam lies belief in Allah as the only deity worthy of worship by his creation. The essence
of Islam is bearing witness to the phrase, ‘There is no god but Allah’. The testimony to this belief, called
tauheed, is the axis around which Islam revolves. Tauheed requires belief in Allah’s existence which is
reflected in His creation. Allah’s presence can be perceived by His answer to our prayers, the miracles
gave some of his Prophets, and the teachings in the revealed books. In fact, every human is born with an
instinctive belief in Allah. The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) said, “Every child is born in a state of
fitrah (a natural belief in Allah) then his parents make him a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.”
Belief in Allah, In Islam, consists of following aspects:
1. Belief in Allah’s Lordship
Belief in the supremacy of Allah means that both heaven and earth, and all that lies beyond them, unknown
to humans, belongs to Allah. He alone is the most supreme the exclusive lord and master of all His
creation. He created them out of non-existence and they are dependent upon Him for their conversation
and continuation and He alone has the power to bring them all to an end or bring them to life again.
Furthermore, He did not create the universe without purpose and leave it to run is own course. In fact, His
power is what sustains this universe and all known and unknown life within it. Quran says, ‘Praise be to
Allah, the Lord of the worlds.”
Belief in Allah as the supreme Lord also means to acknowledge Him as the Supreme lawgiver, the absolute
judge and legislators, who alone distinguishes right from wrong. Just as the physical world submits to His
supremacy, human beings must submit to the moral and religious teaching of their Lord.
In other words, Allah alone has the authority to make law, determine acts of worship, decide morals, and
set standards of human interaction and behavior.
2. Allah alone is entitled to be worshiped
In Islam, Allah’s right to be worshipped cannot be questioned. Allah has the exclusive right to be
worshipped inwardly, and outwardly, by one’s heart, body and soul.
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No one should be worshipped other than Him and no one can be worshipped along with Him. He has no
partners and no associates in worship. Worship for Him alone. The Quran says, “And your God is the
one and only Allah; there is no God but He, most gracious, most merciful.” (2:163)
The central messages of all Prophets and messengers sent by Allah, such as Hazrat Ibrahim, HazratIshaq,
Hazrat Ismail, Hazrat Musa, Hazrat Isa and Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H), is to urge humanity to
surrender to Allah’s will and His Worship. The Quran says, “And we never sent any messenger before
you (O Muhammad (P.B.U.H) without having revealed to him that there is no God but I, therefore
worship and serve Me (alone).” (21:25)
3. Allah’s names and attributes
The names of God reflect His majesty, power and perfection. His attributes are unique and all-
encompassing. Amongst his 99 names are: Al-Qawee[The Almighty], Al-Ahad [The
Incomparable] , Al-Aleem [ the All knowing], Ar-Rahman [The Compassionate] etc. Muslim
start their day and tasks with the name of Allah and remind themselves of His compassion and
mercy every time they eat, drink, or do anything of importance.
As only Allah is perfect, no one else should be named or qualified with His names or
qualifications. Muslims must believe in all the qualities of Allah stated in the Quran and as
mentioned by His Prophet (P.B.U.H); this belief forms an integral part of faith.
Forgiveness too is an important dimension of human relationship with Allah. Human beings are weak and
prone to sin, but Allah in His mercy is willing to forgive those who repent. He is the Forgiver, Al-Ghafur
and Oft-forgiving, Al-Ghaffar.
Attributing any of Allah’s qualities to another deity or human is known as shirk and this is an
unforgivable sin in Islam as it goes against the primary belief in Tauheed. The Quran says,
“There is nothing like Him, and He sees and hears all things.” (Quran 42:11)

5(b) Why has God repeatedly warned Muslims against committing shirk? [4]
All three kinds of shirk should never be committed . The severity of shirk can be understood through
the following :
• Shirk makes the Creator like His creation, Therefore, Allah declares shirk to be the greatest wrong,
“Indeed to ascribe partners (unto Him) is a tremendous wrong.” (Quran 31:13)
• Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who do not repent from committing shirk, condemning him
to Hell for eternity,“Surely whoever associates (others) with Allah, Allah has forbidden to him
Paradise and his abode is the Fire.” (Quran 5:72)
• All the good works a person may have done are lost, become worthless, and are rendered vain if a
person dies unrepentant of shirk.
4(b) Why is the belief in angels important for Muslims? [4]
• belief in angels does make a Muslim’s faith stronger.
• By believing in them, even though they cannot be seen, a Muslim is confirming his/her firm belief in
all that the Qur’an says about them and what the Prophet (pbuh) has said about them.
• the revealed faiths prior to Islam also believe in angels and this belief confirms the Muslim belief that
Islam is a continuation and culmination of the previous faiths revealed by God hence making their
faith even stronger.
• by believing in angels e.g. Jibra’il being the angel who brought revelations to the Prophet (pbuh)
Muslims are convinced of the Qur’an being sent by God which in turn makes their faith stronger.

(a) Main teaching: [2] marks

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• Two of God’s most quoted attributes are Rahman and Raheem. The Qur’an also repeatedly tells
Muslims about God’s mercy and forgiveness.
• The teaching of this hadith for Muslims is to develop the qualities of kindness and mercy in their
personalities, by show compassion to overlook their minor faults. Prophet (P.B.U.H) said, “He
who is devoid of mercy is devoid of all good.”
• The rights of fellow Muslims have been stressed upon by both Allah and His Prophet. A Muslim’s
treatment by Allah depends on how he treats others.
• Allah will reward Muslims for Showing compassion and mercy to His creation. That those who
do not practice mercy simply deprive themselves of Allah’s mercy is the clear teaching given by
the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).
(b) Action: [2] Marks
• Muslims can practise the teaching of this Hadith in their daily lives by doing small acts of kindness
every day. Helping a blind man cross the road, feeding a hungry person, giving directions to a
traveller, forgiving the mistake of a fellow being are all examples of how mercy can be practised..
• All Muslims are part of one community and should profess brotherhood towards each other and
all humankind, which will be looked upon favorably by Allah.
• The Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) showed mercy even to his enemies; example of his mercy is
that at the conquest of Makkah, he issued a general pardon to all those who had persecuted and
tortured him and the Muslims for ten years.
• Keeping these Muslims must show forgiveness to those who wrong them.

(a) Main Teachings (2 Marks)

• This Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) focuses on the concept of brotherhood in Islam.
It teaches Muslims about community relations and how they should behave towards other fellow
believers.
• Muslims are joined in a fraternity by their common faith. Just as the head (brain) is the command
center and vital to humans, brotherhood is essential to Muslims. Islam stands for universal
brotherhood of all Muslims and wants to see them as a solid structure. The Quran says, “And hold
fast by the rope of Allah altogether and be not divided”.
• Every Muslim’s blood, property, and honour are sacred to their fellow Muslims; they should feel
each other’s pain and support each other in time of stress.
(b) Action [2] marks
• Muslims should always be aware of the sufferings of others around them, be it their friends, family,
community, or other Muslims around the world.
• The best example of brotherhood was seen at the time of migration Makkah to Madina when Ansar
were extremely generous to their brothers.
• Even today, when Muslims of one country or region are in distress or oppressed their pain is felt by
the entire Muslim community.
• For example Muslims of Kashmir, Syria, Palestine and Iraq etc. Afghan Muhajireen who have fled wars
in Afghanistan took refuge in Pakistan.