Islamiyat
2058
Pre-IGCSE 1 Mid-Term Examination
Mark Scheme
2023
Section A
Question
1
Answer
Award up to 2 marks for:
 elephant
 grandfather, Abdul Muttalib
 Abu Talib, Syria
 40
 Alaq
 Harb al Fijar
 Maysara
 35
 Waraqa ibn Nawfal
 Hazrat Khadija
 Abu Talib
Marks
20
Section B
Question
1
Answer
Award up to 2 marks for each correct response:
 True
 False
 False
 True
 True
Marks
10
Section C
Question
1
Answer
How did the Qur’an, as a primary source of law, unify Muslims over time?
Marks
4
Use the AO2 Marking Grid
Candidates may include some of the following information. All other relevant
information must be credited.
Muslims around the world believe in the Qur’an as the most fundamental source of
guidance, revealed by God, hence unifying them as they all consult the Qur’an for
advice.
The Qur’an provides the basis of Islamic Lawmaking. That means that despite the
growth of Islam and the number of Muslims from different countries and cultures,
they all believe in the Qur’an as the basis of faith and law-making which unifies
them in terms of the main teachings they live by and laws they follow.
As the Qur’an has not changed over the years and was preserved at a very early
stage and God has taken the responsibility to guard it, it has prevented many
disagreements and divisions among Muslims on different issues.
Question
Answer
Marks
2
Write an account of the Prophet Muhammad’s life from his birth until he
received revelation.
4
Use the AO1 Marking Grid
Candidates may include some of the following information. All other relevant
information must be credited.
Candidates should give a detailed answer regarding the main events in the
Prophet’s life until the age of 40.
The Prophet (pbuh) was born in the year of the elephant. His parents were Amina
and Abdullah. As with the custom of the time, he was sent to the desert with a
wet nurse.
Halima Sa’adia narrates that they had good fortune with the arrival of the Prophet
(pbuh) in their household, and asked he stay with them another two years. During
this time the angel Jibril came to clean the Prophet’s heart while he was playing
with his friends. Halima then returned him to his mother.
His mother died on the way back from visiting family in Yathrib when he was six.
His grandfather Abdul Muttalib looked after him and after he died the Prophet
(pbuh), aged eight, came under the care of his uncle Abu Talib. Abu Talib would
take the Prophet (pbuh) on trade journeys with him, and this is where Bahira the
monk saw him and told Abu Talib that he was going to have a great future ahead
of him, and told him to take him back to Makka as he was scared for his life if he
continued to travel with the caravan.
The Prophet (pbuh) picked up arrows in the sacrilegious wars (Harb al Fijar) and
was present at the subsequent Fudul confederacy to protect fair transactions. He
was known for his honesty and integrity and was employed by Khadija to go on a
trade journey to Syria. After the Prophet (pbuh) returned with profits, her servant,
Maysara, spoke about his good character, Khadija sent a marriage proposal to
him which he accepted after consulting his uncle. They had six children together.
At the age of 35 he helped resolve the issue of the fixing of the black stone, this
prevented the Makkan tribes from fighting with each other. He began to spend
longer periods in the cave of Hira and at age of 40 the angel Jibril came with the
first revelation
Question
Answer
Marks
3
The Prophet (pbuh) received revelation from God when he was 40 years
old. Write about this experience of the first revelation.
4
Use the AO1 Marking Grid
Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be
credited.
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.
Question
Answer
Marks
4
Why do you think it was important for revelations to come over a period of
time?
4
Use the AO2 Marking Grid
Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be
credited.
It was important because the power and words of the Qur’an weighed heavily on
the Prophet (pbuh) so it was better for it to be revealed over time.
Also, the way the revelation came was physically demanding for the Prophet
(pbuh) and so again it was easier for him if the revelations were spaced out.
Another reason was that the new Muslims needed change slowly therefore,
because the Qur’an was revealed bit by bit, this allowed them to put teachings
into practice before new ideas and rules were given.
Being revealed over time and in different situations also meant that questions
that arose from the Quraysh or the Muslims were given an answer through new
revelation, and it would answer circumstances as they happened. An example of
an event could develop this part of the answer
Question
Answer
Marks
5
Write about when the Prophet (pbuh) showed patience and self-restraint
while living in Makkah.
Use the AO1 Marking Grid
Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be
credited.
The quality of patience is the ability to wait, or to continue to do something
despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed.
Self-restraint is controlling your emotions and actions, in the face of temptations
and impulses.
Both traits may overlap, and the response given may explicitly speak of one or
other, or may conflate the two. Either approach is fine as long as both patience
and self-restraint are covered.
Some examples candidates can mention are:
From childhood, the Prophet (pbuh) showed the qualities of patience and selfrestraint. For example, when his mother passed away, he bore the grief patiently.
He also showed self-restraint by not partaking in the vices that were common in
Makka at the time such as drinking and gambling.
From the beginning the Prophet (pbuh) was patient in that he waited for guidance
from God before teaching others or preaching openly. He did not try to rush the
message to hurry people into accepting Islam. When the persecutions started, he
bore them patiently.
His patience was shown when the people used to throw rubbish on him and he
never retaliated nor did he get angry at them, showing self-restraint. His enemies
would often come when he was praying and try to disturb his prayer by whistling
and clapping, but the Prophet (pbuh) would not say anything or confront them.
When the intestines of a camel were put on his back while prostrating, he did not
react or get angry but stayed in that position until his daughter came and took it
off his back.
The Prophet (pbuh) also demonstrated patience during the social boycott
imposed by the Makkans. This included a lack of food and water and being cut
off from social and economic relations.
His patience was also shown when he lost those closest to him in a short period
of time, namely Khadija and Abu Talib. Instead of despairing, he sought the
reward of God by praying to Him. He waited for God to allow him to migrate,
despite the risk to his life. He showed self-restraint when he went to preach his
message at Ta’if: instead of getting angry he left the town and took refuge in an
orchard. Candidates can offer other stories, but they should give details in their
answer for higher levels.
Childhood example should be credited.
4