Give an account of the Prophet's experience of receiving the first revelation of the Qur'an.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2022). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] (a) The Prophet (pbuh) had increased the time he spent in solitude in the cave of Hira. He used to meditate for a month, as was the Arab tradition, only returning home for provisions. When he was 40 the revelation came to him, during the month of Ramadan:
2. [10] (a) The angel Jibril came to him and instructed him to read (iqra) and the Prophet (pbuh) replied he could not.
3. [10] (a) The angel squeezed him hard ('the angel pressed me until I could not bear it anymore').
4. [10] (a) He repeated the command and squeezed the Prophet (pbuh) again, then after a third time the angel released him and the Prophet (pbuh) recited the first few verses of Sura Alaq (96.1–5), saying it was as though they were imprinted on his heart.
5. [10] (a) The first verses of Sura Alaq are: '1. Read! in the name of your Lord, who created, 2. Created man out of a clot of congealed blood: 3. Proclaim! And your Lord is most bountiful, 4. He who taught by the pen, 5. Taught man what he did not know.'
6. [10] (a) The Prophet (pbuh) came out of the cave and saw the angel on the horizon. The angel told him, ‘You are the Messenger of Allah and I am Jibril.'
7. [10] (a) He was confused and shaken and he ran home and asked his wife to cover him.
8. [10] (a) She consoled him, saying God would not disgrace him, and went to see her cousin, Waraqa ibn Nawfal, who confirmed his prophethood. Waraqa also predicted the Prophet (pbuh) would face opposition from the Makkans.
9. [10] (a) Answers can be elaborated on with detailed description and quotations. Some candidates may also mention customs of spending time in isolation (tahannuth) or give more details of the background.
10. [10] (a) All variations of some events, as recorded in reliable historical accounts are acceptable.
11. [4] (b) Giving the Prophet (pbuh) the Qur'an in small portions was an easier way for him to absorb and teach the message to others. It also made it easier for the new followers to implement their new faith.
12. [4] (b) Some of the passages were revealed in response to specific events, so they came when they were needed, over the Prophet's lifetime.
13. [4] (b) Not giving a complete book meant that it was less likely for people to claim the Prophet (pbuh) had written it himself or had taken it from elsewhere.
14. [4] (b) Other relevant answers should be credited.