GCSE Religious Studies - Islam (AQA) Flashcards
(10 cards)
Beliefs
Which one of the following terms means that God is involved in the world?
A Eternal
B Immanent
C Transcendent
D Unchanging
1 mark
B Immanent
Beliefs
Give two Muslim beliefs about angels.
2 marks
They are made of light (nur) / they are sinless / they fly / they obey Allah / they have no free will / they are genderless / they may appear in male form / bowed down to Adam / they record the deeds of all people / they circle the throne of Allah in the heaven / it is part of the Six Articles of Faith / they bring revelations from God / Jibril / they each have a task to complete / eg the weather angel (Mika’il) / angel of mercy, provides nourishment for the Earth / reward good deeds / blowing the trumpet (Israfil) etc / Munkar and Nakir will question individuals in the grave / they can take on human form / there are thousands of angels, etc.
Allow for naming of specific angels up to 2 marks.
Beliefs
Explain two ways in which the revelation of the Qur’an influences Muslims today.
4 marks
- The Qur’an is the direct word of Allah / this influences them to obey it.
- The Qur’an is a divine revelation and so is God talking to humans which influences them to live a good life.
- The Qur’an was revealed on the Night of Power / Muslims may spend this night in worship.
- It influences Muslims to follow the teachings of the Qur’an / this includes believing in the Six Articles of Faith / Five roots of Usul ad-Din / it also influences them to follow the Five Pillars / Ten Obligatory Acts / eg paying Zakah, fasting and completing the pilgrimage to Makkah.
- Influences them to appreciate the names of God e.g. supremacy of Gods will / 99 names of Allah
- They will avoid sins / those things that the Qur’an prohibits / eg lying, stealing and committing shirk.
- They will live according to the laws of the Qur’an this includes dietary laws / following Shariah law eg consuming halal food and marrying, etc.
- They will respect the Qur’an by completing wudu before touching it. ‘None can grasp it except the purified.’ (56:79)
- They will cover the Qur’an and place it in a high place out of respect.
- They will read the Qur’an / teach it / memorise it (hifz) / recite it in daily prayers and not talk whilst it is being recited. ‘So when the Qur’an is recited, then listen to it and pay attention that you may receive mercy.’ (7:204), etc.
Beliefs
Explain two Muslim beliefs about the Day of Judgement.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Muslim belief and teaching in your answer.
5 marks
- Muslims believe that Allah will resurrect them on the Day of Judgement / this will take place after they die.
- The belief in the Day of Judgment is part of the Six Articles of Faith / Five Roots of Usul adDin.
- Some Muslims believe only God has knowledge of when Judgement Day will happen (Qur’
- The Day of Judgment / marks the beginning of resurrection / will take place after God destroys the world / this will happen when the trumpet is blown for the second time.
- On this day people will receive their book of deeds from the angels / those receiving this in the right hand will be granted paradise / those receiving it in their left will be sent to hell.
- On this day the good will be rewarded and sent paradise / the bad will be punished and sent to hell.
- People will be made to walk the ‘Sirat Bridge’ / this spans the fire of hell / good people will be transported across the bridge quickly and enter heaven.
- Those that have died are waiting in Barzakh for the Day of Judgement.
- On this day, those that have done good will have bright faces / whereas those that have done wrong will have dark faces.
- God will forgive who he wills on this day / as long as they have not committed major sins like shirk, etc.
Sources of authority might include:
- ‘On couches of well-woven cloth they will sit facing each other.’ (Qur’an 56:15)
- ‘They will dwell amid scorching wind and scalding water in the shadow of black smoke, neither cold nor refreshing.’ (Qur’an 56:42-44).
- On the Day faces will turn white and faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black, [to them it will be said], ‘Did you disbelieve after your belief? Then taste the punishment for what you used to reject.’ (Qur’an 3:106)
- ‘On the Day of Resurrection Allah will hold the whole earth and fold the heaven with His right hand and say, ‘I am the King: where are the kings of the earth?’ (hadith)
Beliefs
‘Tawhid (the Oneness of God) is the more important Muslim belief.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you should:
* refer to Muslim teaching
* give reasoned arguments to support this statement
* give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
* reach a justified conclusion.
Arguments in support
- It is the pillar that holds up other pillars / It is one of the Articles of Faith / Five Roots of Usul adDin / it is mentioned in the Shahadah ‘ There is no God but Allah’.
- Without Tawhid one cannot be classed as a Muslim and so it is the most important.
- The prophet Muhammad spent his life calling people towards the oneness of Allah, thus showing its superiority over other beliefs.
- All the prophets were called towards monotheistic beliefs, showing its importance above other beliefs.
- Surah 112 contains the key fundamentals of the faith and is considered by some Muslims as the most important surah of the Qur’an.
- The oneness of Allah is a key theme contained within the Qur’an and is the belief that is mentioned the most, thus showing its importance.
- Without this belief the other pillars of faith are redundant, eg Salah, Sawm and Zakah, etc.
- The belief in Tawhid allows Muslims to be rewarded for their good deeds. Without this belief these deeds are wasted, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
- Belief in the afterlife is more important as it allows Muslims to live good lives, knowing that they will be judged by Allah.
- Belief in the other aspects of God’s nature are equally as important as his oneness / eg his mercy and compassion.
- The Qur’an mentions the Six Articles of Faith and the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din. These may be considered more important beliefs, e.g. Imamate, Adalat and supremacy of Gods will, etc. including belief in angels, prophets etc, thus making these equally as important as Tawhid.
- Belief in holy books shows Muslims a practical way of life. They include key teachings which allow Muslims to obey Allah.
- The belief in the Qur’an is more important as it contains all the other beliefs, without which Muslims would not be aware of the key fundamentals of the religion.
- All the beliefs are equal as they form a core part of the religion. A deficiency in any one of these beliefs may move a person further away from Allah.
- Although the prophet Muhammad emphasised the importance of Tawhid, he also talked about the remaining beliefs completing one’s faith, etc.
Practices
Which one of the following is the name for Friday prayers in Islam?
A Ashura
B Hajj
C Id-ul-Fitr
D Jummah
1 mark
D Jummah
Practices
Give two ways in which a Muslim prepares for Salah (prayer).
2 marks
Perform wudu (ablution) / using sand / dust (tayamum) / wash the body (ghusl) / put on clean clothes (physical cleansing) / cover the head eg wear hat, scarf and jilbab / remove shoes / put down a prayer mat / find a clean, quiet space / put down a stone to prostrate upon / the call to prayer (azan) is said / face Makkah / the Ka’aba / find the direction of qibla / mentally prepare for salah (spiritual cleansing) / make intention for prayer / use a special toothbrush to cleanse the mouth (miswak) / apply perfume / having a separate space for men and women, etc.
If students provide more than two responses only the first two responses should be considered for marking.
Practices
Explain two contrasting ways in which Muslims celebrate Id-al-Adha.
4 marks
- Muslims will rise early and bathe (ghusl).
- Some Muslims may sacrifice an animal to remember the sacrifice of Ibrahim / meat is distributed to friends, family, and the poor. Those that cannot afford to do so may give charity to the poor.
- They may wear new clothes and attend the mosque for morning prayers / pray outside / listen to the sermon.
- For some Muslims the festival forms part of Hajj / they may congratulate each other for completing this important ritual.
- Attend the hospital / graveyard to remember those that are ill / have passed away.
- Sharing gifts, money and sweets with family and friends.
- Homes are decorated and special food is prepared.
- They will forgive others and make amends for the wrong that they have done to others, etc.
NB: References to rituals that take place exclusively during Id-ul-Fitr are not creditworthy.
Practices
Explain two reasons Muslims give Zakah.
Refer to sacred writings or another source of Muslim belief and teaching in your answer.
5 marks
- It is mentioned in the Qur’an / it is one of the Five Pillars of Islam / Ten Obligatory Acts / an obligation that must be completed each year for those that have savings (nisab).
- It cleanses wealth / and reminds Muslims that all material possessions are temporary and ultimately belong to Allah. (Hadith).
- Zakah helps to create balance in society / it tries to narrow the gap between the rich and poor.
- Zakah strengthens community ties / by making the rich support the poor / strengthens the Ummah
- It gives Muslims a good attitude towards money / and it helps them to learn to share and not be greedy.
- The prophet Muhammad emphasised the importance of giving Zakah / Muslims follow in his footsteps, etc.
- It is a way to practice greater jihad / earn reward / get to paradise, etc.
Sources of authority might include:
- ‘O you who believe, you shall give to charity from the provisions we have given to you.’ (Qur’an 2:254)
- ‘Islam is built on Five Pillars.’ (hadith)
- ‘He who sleeps whilst his neighbour goes hungry is not one of us.’ (hadith)
- ‘They ask you about giving: say, “The charity you give shall go to the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, and the traveller.” Any good you do, God is fully aware thereof.’ (Qur’an 2:215)
- ‘And establish prayer and give Zakat’ (Qur’an 2:110)
- Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a snake. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure.’
Practices
‘Following Muslim practices is difficult in the modern world.’
Evaluate this statement.
In your answer you should:
* refer to Muslim teaching
* give reasoned arguments to support this statement
* give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view
* reach a justified conclusion.
12 marks
Arguments in support
* Some practices are difficult because people live busy lives / this is part of greater jihad / praying five times a day may be difficult due to school / work commitments / temptations from the devil.
* There may be no facilities to pray or a lack of understanding of the faith / this may lead to discrimination / makes practising difficult.
* Fasting may be difficult due to the length of time and the busy lives that people live.
* Wearing religious dress / hijab may be difficult as it is not considered the norm in many societies / there may be a pressure to conform to friends and celebrities / influence from social media.
* Going for Hajj or celebrating Eid may be difficult as it requires time off from worldly commitments.
* The cost of living makes practices like Zakah and Hajj more difficult to fulfil , etc.
* It may be difficult to obtain halal food in some places making it difficult to abide by food laws, etc.
Arguments in support of other views
* Muslims consider Islam / Shariah to be for all times and places / ‘Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear’ (Qur’an) / this shows that the religious practices are not difficult.
* The Qur’an is timeless and applicable for all times and places.
* Society is more understanding of differing religious needs / schools and work places have prayer rooms for Muslims to use.
* Muslims have been practising their faith for hundreds of years and have found a way to navigate their busy lives around their religious practices.
* Society is more accommodating of religious obligations and so it is no longer difficult / new laws help to protect religious groups from being discriminated against.
* There are many concessions to religious practices including combining of salah when travelling / exemption from fasting and only having to perform hajj once in a lifetime, etc.
* There are established Muslim communities / mosques to help Muslims practice their faith.
* Social media can be used in a positive way to facilitate the promotion of Islamic role models / thus making practising Islam easier in the modern world, etc.
