Give five Islamic teachings which were revealed in the Qur'an.

Mark scheme

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

1. [5] A01 - Knowledge and understanding
2. Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.
3. One mark should be awarded for each response.
4. [1] Believe in the oneness of God
5. [1] Believe in the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh)
6. [1] Believe in the reality of judgement
7. [1] Believe in life after death
8. [1] The command to pray (but not the detail of five prayers)
9. [1] Reject associating others besides God (shirk)
10. [1] Help neighbours
11. [1] Show compassion to those in need e.g. orphans
12. [1] Almsgiving (zakat)
13. Note: Islamic teachings exclusively from the Hadith should not be credited.
14. [10] A01 – Knowledge and understanding
15. Mark according to the AO1 – 10-mark levels of response marking grid for knowledge and understanding.
16. Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.
17. • The Qur'an was sent down from heaven to earth and revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) in the form that we know it over many years, beginning in around 610 with the Night of Power, and ending with Muhammad's death.
18. • Over that time, there were many different situations which needed addressing, including what to do when Muslims faced persecution in Mecca, and how to deal with enemies in Medina, as well as other matters setting up the Medina state.
19. • The first messages of the Qur'an revealed in Mecca tended to be in short, simple style and focus on the main beliefs of the oneness of God (tawhid), prophethood (risalah) and life after death (akhirah). As time went on, Muslims needed more detail about these and additional information about the Day of Judgement and predestination was added to help clarify those teachings.
20. • The concept of abrogation (naskh) is a debated area, based on the Qur'anic verse 2.106. 'None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We substitute something better or similar; knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?'
21. • This suggests that God has the power to provide more clarification or even replace a verse to provide a clearer one in a new situation.
22. • The position of alcohol is one example: at first, it was revealed that alcohol should not be drunk at prayer time, because it distracted some of the companions; later it was revealed that alcohol was considered a forbidden (haram) substance in all situations.
23. • There were other situations which the Qur'an clarified, particularly relating to living together with those of other faiths in Medina; to crime and punishments and in what circumstances they should be given; and relating to battle, conflict and peace making.
24. • These clarifications help Muslims to gain guidance in different situations today and help scholars to understand the meaning of the Qur'an.
25. [10] AO2 – Analysis and evaluation
26. Mark according to the AO2 – 10-mark levels of response marking grid for analysis and evaluation.
27. Answers may refer to any Islamic religious theory or teaching. Candidates may propose, analyse and evaluate some of the following arguments. All relevant arguments must be credited.
28. Definitions
29. • Islamic law (shariah) is determined first and foremost by the Qur'an as a primary source, but also formulated from the Hadith, also a primary source, and other secondary sources where necessary.
30. • The Qur'an is the first source of Islamic law and naturally Muslims want to find out what God teaches, best sourced from God's directly revealed words in the Qur'an. Those who have learned all the Qur'an by heart (hafiz) may also be valued by scholars because they know all the Qur'an and can refer to it.
31. • Some verses of the Qur'an, such as the prohibition of alcohol, can be clearly understood by reading the whole book and might be misinterpreted if only a few verses were read.
32. • Some verses of the Qur'an can be interpreted in different ways, such as allegorically and metaphorically, so therefore it is best to refer to the whole Qur'an to be as clear as possible about the meaning.
33. • The Qur'an does not always cover all matters, such as details of the five daily prayers, which are found in the Hadith. Therefore, it is not necessary to search the whole Qur'an when it does not contain guidance on this matter, especially since there is another primary source available.
34. • Referring to the whole Qur'an could be time-consuming and confusing in the minds of ordinary Muslims, who often want clear teachings summarised in a couple of the most relevant verses to help them guide their daily lives.
35. Conclusions
36. • Candidates should come to a balanced conclusion about how far the whole Qur'an needs to be considered, against how far part of it is necessary for forming Islamic law (shariah).