Explain why Muslims believe the Qur'an originated with God.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2023). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] Mark according to the AO1 – 10-mark levels of response marking grid for knowledge and understanding.
2. [Content] Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.
3. [Content] Muslims believe the Qur'an originated with God long before it came to be revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) and was kept safe with God and revealed to the people for guidance.
4. [Content] The miracle of the revelations to Muhammad (pbuh), such as the first revelation of the Qur'an on the Night of Power, is evidence that the Qur'an came from elsewhere and was not made by humans. Muhammad (pbuh) could not read or write himself, according to Islamic tradition, and therefore could not have made the Qur'an.
5. [Content] The beauty of the words and the insight they brought was beyond what many thought capable of human authors at the time. The Qur'an often takes a vocative tone, as if the voice is coming from God afar, and is not the voice of a human conversation.
6. [Content] The message of the Qur'an is one which makes sense to many Muslims and is in accord with the 'signs' in God's creation; therefore, logic and reasoning can be used to support the belief in the Qur'an's origin.
7. [Content] Islamic leaders, Imams, scholars and authorities have studied and researched the Qur'an and agree on its origin with God. This wealth of knowledge has provided many convincing commentaries (tafsir) to convince Muslims that the origins of the Qur'an were with God.
8. [Content] Belief in the Qur'an's origins has become an essential part of faith and Islamic belief for Muslims, on which faith, practice and jurisprudence is based.
9. [Content] The origins of the Qur'an with God include various views on the extent to which the Qur'an was literally revealed and inspired; regardless of this there is general agreement that the origins of the text were with God and God alone.
10. [15] Mark according to the AO2 – 15-mark levels of response marking grid for analysis and evaluation. 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.
11. [Definitions] Literal perspectives include interpretations that every word in the Qur'an should be taken literally, whereas others interpret some words symbolically or with inner or hidden meaning. The statement suggests that different perspectives do not have any effect on the belief that the Qur'an should be followed as an authority.
12. [Agree] The Qur'an is considered the word of God and used as the primary source of authority by different groups of jurisprudence, regardless of their different interpretations. It is seen by all as the primary source.
13. [Agree] Meaning and authority are two different things. Interpreting meaning is an area where scholars may differ; but using the Qur'an as a source is not in dispute. The words of the Qur'an used are unchanged and not in contention.
14. [Agree] To 'challenge' suggests to confront or even deny, following beliefs outside the fold of Islam. Those of different viewpoint still share the same common core beliefs of Islam, including in the Qur'an, so therefore the differences of interpretation do not matter.
15. [Agree] The Qur'an refers to literal and allegorical verses, so different interpretations do not challenge this. Reference: Qur'an 3:7.
16. [Disagree] If a Muslim does not believe the Qur'an is the literal word of God, then there might be more flexibility in their mind to interpret its teachings. This might mean they might be less inclined to recognise its authority in the same way.
17. [Disagree] There has been debate between some groups such as the Mu'tazilah, and the followers of al-Ash'ari. The Mu'tazilah considered that God could not have written the Qur'an in human language due to their belief in the separateness of God and interpreted certain verses in the Qur'an metaphorically. This affected the way they viewed the authority of the Qur'an, and they considered human reasoning as very important, in contrast to the al-Ash'ari.
18. [Disagree] Eventually the Mu'tazilah were excluded from Islamic communities because their interpretations were considered to go beyond that acceptable for Muslim belief. This shows that interpretations and the authority of the Qur'an were linked and the Mu'tazilah were considered unacceptable because their interpretations were thought to undermine traditional scholars and judges and brought division amongst the Muslims.
19. [Conclusions] Conclusions should focus back to the statement and decide how far literal and metaphorical interpretations have any effect on the authority of the Qur'an in its use by Muslims.