O Level Islamiyat 2058 Paper 11, May/June 2023

Briefly describe the main theme or theme in each passage. Sura 114 (Allah’s relationship with the created world) The main themes are: - God’s refuge – 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 and this sura makes up one of the suras of protection. Sura 2.30–37 (Allah’s messengers) The main themes are: - God created Adam, as well as everything else (angels, etc.), and made him a vicegerent on earth (khalifa), which suggests God values humans above angels. - God gives knowledge to who He wants and He gives the special status of prophethood to whom He wishes. - When Satan misled Adam, God did not leave him or allow any obstacle to prevent him from making Adam his representative on earth, in other words God looks after His prophets. - God shows His mercy to His prophets and humankind. Sura 108 (Allah’s messengers) The main themes are: - It was revealed as a consolation to the Prophet (pbuh) and foretold the destruction of his opponents. - God has given the Prophet (pbuh) Kawthar, which has various meanings. - Most common is a river in paradise, but also has the meaning of progeny, guidance in abundance, success and his followers. - God commands His followers to pray to Him. - To show his gratitude the Prophet (pbuh) in particular, and Muslims in general, are expected to worship God and display the spirit of sacrifice, determination and good character.

Briefly explain the importance of these themes in a Muslim’s life today. Sura 114 - Through these verses Muslims get to know the kind of evils/mischief they have to be wary of, e.g., jinn, humans or internal whisperings such as jealousy. - This means they should be aware of what’s happening to them so they can recognise the signs of mischief and temptations. - Praying and doing good deeds strengthens reliance on God. Reciting this Sura with the other quls is a source of protection. - God is the King so it is Him who people should seek refuge with. Sura 2.30–37 - The importance is that Adam was the first prophet of God, who was made his representative on earth. This gives Muslims a sense of their connection to God as Adam is called the father of humankind and everyone is descended from him. - God showed Adam’s importance by making the angels bow to him and forgiving him when he disobeyed. This should make humankind understand their status, they should seek forgiveness from God and worship Him. - It also shows God’s care and direct relationship with every individual. Sura 108 - The teachings give an insight into how the relationship between God and the Prophet (pbuh) has lessons for Muslims. Muslims today are that future generation of followers that was given to the Prophet (pbuh), and so this sura gives hope to people in times of need. Future hope is also given with the promise of the Kawthar in paradise. - God always intervenes in times of difficulty so Muslims should always remember to look to Him for help and support, and not feel disheartened in times of difficulty, e.g., during illness or oppression. Muslims should remain steadfast despite the difficulties or mockeries that they face. - Even prophets were tested and faced hardships but remained steadfast so Muslims should not despair of God’s mercy when facing hardships.

The Prophet (pbuh) had increased the time he spent in solitude in the cave of Hira. When he was 40 the revelation came to him, during the month of Ramadan. The angel Jibril came to him and instructed him to read, iqra, and the Prophet (pbuh) replied he could not. The angel squeezed him hard (‘the angel pressed me until I could not bear it anymore’). He repeated the command and squeezed the Prophet (pbuh) again, then after a third time the angel squeezed him, released him then the Prophet (pbuh) recited the first few verses of Sura Alaq (96.1–5), saying it was as though they were imprinted on his heart. The first verses of Sura Alaq are: ‘1. Read! in the name of your Lord, who created, 2. Created man out of a clot of congealed blood: 3. Proclaim! And your Lord is most bountiful, 4. He who taught by the pen, 5. Taught man what he did not know.’ The Prophet (pbuh) came out of the cave and saw the angel on the horizon. The angel told him, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril.’ He was confused and shaken and he ran home and asked his wife to cover him. She consoled him, saying God would not disgrace him, and went to see her cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who confirmed his prophethood.

It was important because being unable to read or write shows that it would not have been possible for the Prophet (pbuh) to have composed the Qur’an himself; the implication is that not being able to compose the Qur’an himself, shows that the Qur’an is from God. God did not want anyone else to be the Prophet’s teacher, as that would have meant someone was superior to him in his knowledge of God. It was a miracle of God. The Arabs had a strong oral tradition which allowed the Qur’an to be preserved through memory alone, which again allowed for accuracy in preserving the revelation. As he could not read or write himself, the Prophet (pbuh) showed his faith in his companions when he allowed them to write down the verses revealed to him.

Trustworthiness is when you can trust someone because they are honest, reliable and dependable. The Prophet (pbuh) had always been trusted by the Quraysh even before prophethood, being called al-Amin. The Quraysh continued to keep their belongings with him even after prophethood. When he migrated to Madina he returned the belongings to their owners (through ‘Ali). When the Quraysh were disputing which tribe should insert the Black Stone into the Ka’ba, the Quryash were happy when the Prophet (pbuh) entered saying al-Amin had arrived to resolve the dispute. When Khadija heard about the Prophet’s integrity and honesty when he was trading on her behalf, she knew he was reliable and she sent a marriage proposal to him. He kept his promises, for example, as part of the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, the Prophet (pbuh) sent back Muslims to Makka who had not sought consent to leave. The quality of forgiveness is to not seek to punish someone when they have wronged you, nor to seek revenge. There are many examples of the Prophet’s forgiveness. Aisha said that the Prophet (pbuh) never took revenge on anyone for himself. At the time of his visit to Ta’if, the Angel Jibril came to say that he can crush the people between the two mountains, but the Prophet (pbuh) refused, and instead prayed for their guidance. When returning to Makka, the Prophet (pbuh) forgave many people who had been prominent in persecuting him and his companions, for example, Abu Sufyan. He also gave a general pardon to the Makkans, despite their actions against him. Despite Wahshi killing his uncle Hamza, and Hind chewing on his liver, he forgave them both. Abdullah ibn Ubayy was one of the hypocrites who opposed the Prophet (pbuh) whilst outwardly saying he supported him. Despite this the Prophet (pbuh) seemed to show no animosity towards Abdullah when he died, attending his funeral and praying at his grave. Candidates can offer other examples of forgiveness, especially for development of the answer, such as the Prophet’s forgiveness of Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, Sufwan ibn Umayyah, Habbar ibn al-Aswad.

Examples could be if someone entrusts you with a secret then to ensure you do not tell anyone about it. If you have borrowed something from someone then you should ensure that you look after it and return in good condition. If you have arranged to meet people then you should not cancel on them without good reason, otherwise people will think you are not reliable and will not trust you. When you are posting online or on social media you should be honest about who you are and what you do so that people can trust in what you post.

The Battle of Uhud took place in 3AH (625) in revenge for the Makkan defeat at Badr. The Prophet (pbuh) consulted his companions whether to fight outside or inside the city; the Muslims decided to meet the Makkan army at Uhud. Arriving at Uhud, the Makkan army numbered 3000 led by Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, whilst the Muslims numbered around 1000. Shortly before the battle started Abdullah ibn Ubayy deserted the army with 300 of his people. The Prophet posted 50 archers on a hill to protect them from being attacked from behind. In the battle Hamza was killed by Wahshi, who earned his freedom through this act. Khalid ibn Walid tried to break the Muslims from behind three times but the archers held him off. The Muslims were successful in driving back the Makkans, and some started to collect the spoils of war. On seeing this some of the archers left their post on the hill to join those collecting the spoils. Khalid ibn Walid noticed this and used the opportunity to attack the Muslims from the rear. On seeing this the Quraysh army turned back and renewed the battle. Many Muslims fled. The Prophet (pbuh) was surrounded by nine Muslims, and only Talha ibn Ubaydullah and Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas survived, whilst the Prophet (pbuh) was badly injured. The remaining Muslims were disheartened on hearing a rumour that the Prophet (pbuh) had been killed; the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims retreated to the Uhud mountain. The Makkans mutilated the dead bodies of the Muslims, including acts such as Hind who chewed on the liver of Hamza. The Muslims buried their martyrs and returned to Madina. Around 70 Muslims were killed and 22/37 of the Makkans.

Muslims should listen to and obey the orders of the Prophet (pbuh) to gain success. Candidates could say that decisions do not have to be made by leaders on their own, that consulting with others can be beneficial. Loyalty is important for Muslims and communities, and they should stick together in difficult times. Victory is not guaranteed for Muslims, and they have to work hard for success. Losses and tragedies are part of life, and it is important to learn from mistakes made to avoid the same outcome again.

Fatima: She was the youngest daughter and born a few years before prophethood. She was the only daughter to outlive the Prophet (pbuh). In her youth she spent a lot of time with the Prophet (pbuh). She was upset over the treatment he faced by the Quraysh in Makka and would help clean the Prophet (pbuh) when the Quraysh would throw impurities on him. She also suffered in the boycott to Shib-i-Abi Talib along with her parents. The Prophet (pbuh) showed his affection for her and would visit her before he left on a journey and upon returning. She was married to ‘Ali and had three sons and two daughters; she suffered hardships in her marriage and when she went to ask the Prophet (pbuh) for help in the household, he replied saying he will give her something better, and gave her some adhkar to recite after prayers. When the Prophet (pbuh) was ill, she was upset that he was dying but happy when he told her she would be joining him soon. She died six months after the Prophet (pbuh) and was buried in Janatul Baqi. Zaynab: She was the eldest daughter born in the 5th year of marriage when the Prophet (pbuh) was 30. She was married to Abu al-‘As ibn Rabi, and had two children, Ali and Umaymah. She became Muslim but her husband initially did not. She stayed behind with him when the other Muslims migrated to Madina. He fought in the Battle of Badr against the Muslims and was captured. Zaynab sent her mother’s necklace for his ransom, and upon seeing the necklace, the Prophet (pbuh) asked for the necklace to be returned to her on the condition that she be allowed to go to Madina. Her husband was freed and returned to Makka and she returned to her father in Madina. The first time she tried to leave Makka she was forcibly brought back by some of the Quraysh and injured, which caused her to miscarry. When she was better, Abu al-‘As sent her to Madina under the protection of his brother Kinana. She did not remarry hoping Abu al-‘As would become Muslim, which he did after she offered him protection in her house following a caravan raid. She died a year later in 8AH. Ruqayya: She was three years younger than Zaynab and was married to Utbah, Abu Lahab’s son. She wasn’t yet living with him when Sura Lahab was revealed, whereupon Abu Lahab told his son to divorce her. She then married ‘Uthman and they migrated to Abyssinia where she had a son, Abdullah, who died aged six in Madina. Ruqayya and ‘Uthman migrated to Madina before the Prophet (pbuh) and so she was given the name ‘The lady of the two migrations’. She was ill when the Muslims were leaving for the Battle of Badr and ‘Uthman was told to stay with her. She died before the Prophet (pbuh) returned from battle. He led her funeral prayer, and she was buried in Janatul Baqi. Umm Kulthum: The third daughter of the Prophet (pbuh) was born not long after Ruqayya and it is said they grew up as though they were twins. She was married to Utaybah, Abu Lahab’s son. Like Ruqayya she was divorced by her husband before she went to live with him. She lived through the severest periods of persecution and suffered the boycott to Shib-i-Abi Talib. She stayed behind in Makka when her father migrated but joined him later in Madina with her sister Fatima. She married ‘Uthman after Ruqayya’s death. She had no children and died in 9AH.

Lessons could be that it is important for fathers to be compassionate with their daughters, that they should love and respect them, and for daughters to show respect for their fathers. Examples of how this could be done should be given.