Choose any two of the following Hadiths, and: (a) describe their teaching about what Muslims believe; (b) explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action. (i) بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَبَا مُوسَى وَمُعَادَ بْنَ جَبَلٍ إِلى اليَمَنِ، وَبَعَثَ كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِّنْهُمَا على مخلاف. ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَسِّرَا وَلاَ تُعَسّرًا وَبَشِّرًا وَلَا تُنَفِّرًا. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) sent Abu Musa and Mu'adh ibn Jabal to Yaman, and he sent each of them to govern a part. Then he said: 'Be gentle and do not be hard, and cause rejoicing and do not alienate.' (ii) رَحِمَ اللَّهُ رَجُلاً سَمْحًا إذا بَاعَ ، وَإِذَا اشْتَرَى، وَإِذَا اقْتَضَى. May God show mercy to a man who is kindly when he sells, when he buys, and when he demands his money back. (iii) الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ ، قُلْنَا: لِمَنْ؟ قَالَ: لِلهِ وَلَكِتَابِهِ، وَلِرَسُولِهِ، وَلأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ. 'Religion is sincerity.' We said: 'To whom?' The Prophet said: 'To Allah, his Book, his Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and to their common people.' (iv) مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنكَرا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإيمان. Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able to do so then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. 1(a) describe their teaching about what Muslims believe;
2. Use the AO1 Marking Grid
3. (i) The teaching given in this Hadith is specifically focused on the responsibilities of Muslim rulers. It tells them to work for the welfare and prosperity of their people and that they should show kindness and justice towards the people they govern.
4. This Hadith also carries the broader instruction given specifically to the two emissaries of the Prophet (pbuh) to impart religious instruction with gentleness so that people are more inclined towards Islam. The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'The best rulers are those whom you love, and they love you.'
5. (ii) This Hadith clearly shows that God wants His creation to show humanity and kindness in all aspects of life including financial and business dealings. Honesty, fairness and kindness should be the guiding principles of every business transaction, this is the important teaching given in this Hadith.
6. The mercy shown to fellow beings is rewarded by God Himself. In another Hadith the Prophet (pbuh) says, 'You should be kind to those on earth and He who is in the Heavens will be kind to you'.
7. (iii) The key word in this Hadith is nasihah which means sincerity/advice. The Prophet (pbuh) is telling Muslims to show sincerity to God, His Messenger, His Book, the leaders of the community and to the common man.
8. The teaching in this Hadith emphasises that all actions that are done must be backed by sincere faith for them to be meaningful. For example, sincerity to God can be shown by keeping faith in Him at the most difficult of times and not by simply saying I believe in God.
9. Muslims being sincere to the Prophet (pbuh) means acknowledging him as the last Prophet and making an effort to learn about his life and struggles and having respect for him.
10. Sincerity to the Qur'an means believing that it is the sacred book of God.
11. The righteous leaders should be obeyed and compassion must be shown to humanity at large. These acts will lead to the true practice of Islam and make our faith sincere.
12. Other aspects of the Hadith could be explained to bring out the teaching of the Hadith in full.
13. (iv) Islam does not encourage complacency but instead promotes action. The teaching given in this Hadith is that a Muslim must always remove, or at the very least try to remove, evil from society.
14. The Hadith refers to the obligation of Muslims to tackle evil in order to remove it. Acting against removal of evil is recommended but if it causes tribulations then one should use one's speech against it and if that is not possible condemn the evil in one's heart.
15. 1(b) explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action.
16. Use the AO2 Marking Grid
17. (i) Rulers and people in authority should bear in mind that ultimate authority lies with God and that positions of authority should be considered as a trust from God.
18. Muslim governments and rulers should be fair in their actions, promote peace and justice in the land and base their authority on Islamic principles and tolerance of other faiths.
19. A man once complained to the Prophet (pbuh) that Mu'adh ibn Jabal recited long Suras in prayer, which caused him hardship as he did manual work all day and by night was tired. The Prophet (pbuh) instructed Mu'adh to recite shorter Suras when leading prayers.
20. (ii) This Hadith can be acted upon by conducting all trade and business dealings fairly and honestly. By showing leniency if a debtor needs extra time to repay a debt. By not selling substandard or defective products.
21. It is said 'Uthman gave more in weight and measures when selling commodities and paid more than the asking price when purchasing goods saying that God had given him more then he needed. Examples from present day can be given to support the answer.
22. (iii) Muslims can show sincerity towards God by believing in His Oneness and by living according to His Sharia. Sincerity to the Prophet (pbuh) can be shown by following his Sunna, by living modestly as he did. To the Qur'an by reading it and understanding its content and acting upon its teachings.
23. Likewise, they can go on to add how Muslims can act sincerely towards the leaders of the community and the common man. Practical examples will help develop the answer.
24. (iv) Examples from the candidate's life or present times can be given to show how the teaching of this Hadith can be implemented. Reporting corruption e.g. electricity theft or bribes being paid to attain jobs or cheating in an exam are a few examples that can be given.