'The qualities and characteristics required from Muslim leaders are the same today as in the past.' Do you agree?

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2025). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. 10 marks AO1 – Knowledge and understanding
2. 15 marks AO2 – Analysis and evaluation
3. Mark according to the levels of response marking grids for AO1 and AO2. Answers may refer to any religious theory or teaching. Candidates may propose, analyse and evaluate some of the following arguments. All relevant arguments must be credited.
4. Introduction
5. As a leader there are some qualities and characteristics that a Muslim needs to have to be able to rule over others in an effective way. Candidates could explain who the Muslim leaders are, whether those in power or religious leaders.
6. Agree
7. All leaders need to have a set of skills, otherwise they would not be able to govern those under their care well. These include qualities such as charisma, authority, mercy and care for those they are governing.
8. The people who are being governed should be treated in the same way whatever the time. Their needs have to be fulfilled, law and order should prevail, they should live in a society with harmony and peace.
9. The Qur'an mentions some of the qualities of leaders. Qur'an 3.159 states that leaders should pardon their followers, ask God to forgive them, and consult with them. They should also encourage their followers to trust in God.
10. In all times the role of the leader should cover three main areas, financial, political and social; and this has not changed over time.
11. In everything that Muslims do, they should try to emulate the Prophet (pbuh), who is the model par excellence of different spheres of life, as mentioned in Qur'an 33.21: 'Ye have indeed In the Apostle of God A beautiful pattern (of conduct) For anyone whose hope is In God and the Final Day, And who engages much In the praise of God.' So it is for leadership as well, the Prophet (pbuh) has set an example on how leaders should lead their people and what qualities they should embody.
12. Disagree
13. The world in which leaders today live in is more complex and advanced, therefore while wanting to keep to the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), there are other qualities that they need to have in order to be effective in achieving their organisational goals and objectives and realising the aspirations of their societies.
14. With the advancement in technology, leaders of today need to have some skills that leaders in the past did not need to have, for example how to make the most of internet or social media.
15. It was easier to rule in the past as the geo-politics were not as complex as they are nowadays, with new borders delimiting countries.
16. Also, the financial area of the governance is more complex, as the field of finance has evolved so much, with new banking systems, and more cooperation between different countries. Muslim leaders nowadays should be aware of how the conventional banking system works as well as the Islamic banking system, which does not allow the paying and taking of interest.
17. A leader is great because of their followers. Nobody can be a great leader without great followers. Therefore, we can say that at the time of the first generation, the leaders were great because the people they were leading were great Muslims, and unfortunately this is not the case today with the rise of individualism and materialism. Therefore, leaders today have to be more skilled than leaders of the past.
18. Conclusion
19. Candidates should come to a judgement in conclusion particularly focusing on the key word in the statement: same. The extent to which they agree that the same qualities are required from leaders in all time, based on their argument, should be summed up at the end.