Read the following text passages, then answer the questions which follow. Hadith 1 Sincerity 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'Messenger of Allah () said, "The deeds are considered by the intentions, and a person will get the reward according to his intention. So, whoever emigrated for Allah and His Messenger, his emigration will be for Allah and His Messenger; and whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration would be for what he emigrated for.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Qur'an 31.18-19 And swell not thy cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the earth; for Allah loveth not any arrogant boaster. And be moderate in thy pace, and lower thy voice; for the harshest of sounds without doubt is the braying of the ass.

Mark scheme

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

1. [1] This Hadith was placed as the first Hadith in the 40 Hadiths collection by Imam Nawawi as it is to do with the sincerity/true intentions behind every action.
2. [1] Sincerity is central to Islamic thought, culture, and understanding and shows the balance between the internal and external states of oneself.
3. [1] It emphasises that actions are judged based on their real intentions.
4. [1] What makes an action acceptable or not by God is the sincerity (ikhlas) behind it.
5. [1] All actions done for the sole pleasure of God will earn the person rewards in the hereafter.
6. [1] Good deeds for any other reason are rejected in Islam.
7. [1] The deed will only earn the person the material reason for which it was done, e.g. fame, money, a woman or other worldly benefits.
8. [1] Even if it is a great action, such as Hijrah, which involves leaving home and loved ones, if done for the wrong reason, there will be no reward for the person in the afterlife.
9. [variable] Muslims have been forbidden from displaying arrogance in any form, be it in the ways they walk, talk or conduct themselves in society.
10. [variable] They should not be proud or boastful but humble and soft-spoken.
11. [variable] People who show humility are beloved to God: 'And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth with great humility.' (Qur'an 25.63)
12. [variable] Islam teaches Muslims to show modesty in every sphere of their life. The Prophet (pbuh) is the model that Muslims need to follow on how to show modesty.
13. [variable] In a Hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) has said: 'Charity does not decrease wealth, no one forgives except that Allah increases his honour, and no one humbles himself for the sake of Allah except that Allah raises his status.'(Muslim)
14. [variable] In another Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Anyone has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will not enter Paradise.' A man said: 'What if one likes his clothes and shoes to look good?' He said: 'Verily, Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty. Arrogance is to reject the truth and look down on people.' (Muslim). This shows that having a feeling of superiority and looking down on others not only reaps sins but it also cancels the other good deeds of the person.
15. [variable] Muslims also learn about being humble and avoid being proud from examples in the life of the Prophet (pbuh). On the day of Badr, two Muslims were sharing one camel. When it was the turn of the Prophet (pbuh) to walk, the companion sharing with him told him to carry on riding, but he refused. Even though he was the leader of the army, he considered himself on the same level as the other soldiers.
16. [variable] The idea that the Prophet (pbuh) did not consider himself above other Muslims was also shown when he joined the Muslims digging the trench in the Battle of the Trench.
17. [variable] Another incident where he could have been arrogant but abstained, was when he conquered Mecca after being exiled for thirteen years. When he entered Mecca, the city which had treated him so cruelly, driven him and his faithful band out, he entered not as a conqueror with his head high, towering over his old persecutors. Rather he had his head bowed so low that it was touching the back of his camel, full of humility.
18. [variable] Candidates may use any other incident from the life of the Prophet (pbuh) to show that he was not arrogant.
19. [variable] From the Hadith about intention, Muslims come to know that they should not do any action for any other reason than to please God. Therefore, one should not seek to get peoples' appreciation/admiration by talking about the deeds they do.
20. [variable] Showing off (riya) is strictly forbidden in Islam. The Prophet (pbuh) warned Muslims against it: 'Indeed the thing I fear for you the most is the minor shirk (associating partners with Allah). The Companions asked him, "What is minor shirk, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said, “It is boasting in worship. Allah will say to them on the Day of Resurrection, when people are rewarded for their deeds, "Go to those for whom you wished to be praised in the world and see if you find reward with them.” (Ahmad)
21. [variable] Qur'an 107.4–6 warns against those who pray with the intention of showing off (riya). 'So, woe to the worshippers Who are neglectful of their prayers, those who (want but) to be seen (of men)'
22. [variable] Also, Qur'an 2.264 warns of the bad consequence of talking about one's deeds: 'O ye who believe! cancel not your charity by reminders of your generosity or by injury, – like those who spend their substance to be seen of men, but believe neither in Allah nor in the Last Day.'
23. [variable] This means that the person boasting will be deprived of the reward from God, as he has already received praise from people, which was the real reason for which the action was performed.
24. [variable] It is not showing off if people talk about their good deeds, they might be doing it because they feel happy that God has given them the chance to accomplish this deed. The Prophet (pbuh) said: 'Whoever feels happy because of his good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is the believer.'
25. [variable] Sometimes humans need to be reminded of the good deeds of others as an incentive to emulate them and there is nothing wrong about that.
26. [variable] The Prophet (pbuh) would mention the deeds he did and set them as examples for Muslims about the right way to do them. For example, in a Hadith he has said: 'Pray as you have seen me pray.'
27. [variable] Muslims might still be sincere even when talking about their deeds as only God can judge their true intentions.
28. [variable] In conclusion, candidates might make a personal judgement about whether talking about one's actions has any impact on the sincerity/good intention of that action.