Give an account of the how the Qur'an was first revealed to the Prophet.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2014). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] (a) Good answers will focus on the revelation in the cave of Hira. Candidates could start by writing about the Prophet's increasing solitude in the cave; when he was 40 the revelation came to him; the angel Jibril came to him and instructed him to read, iqra, and the Prophet replied he could not; the angel squeezed him and said it again; after a third time the angel recited the first three verses of sura alaq (96); the Prophet came out of the cave and saw the angel on the horizon; he was confused and shaken; he ran home and told his wife who consoled him and took him to see her cousin, who confirmed his Prophethood. Development of these points is required for higher levels.
2. [4] (b) Answers could say that being unable to read or write it would not have been possible for the Prophet to have composed the Qur'an himself; the implication is that not being able to compose the Qur'an himself, it shows that the Qur'an is from God; the Arabs had a strong oral tradition which allowed the Qur'an to be preserved through memory alone; he showed his faith in his companions when he allowed them to write down the verses revealed to him. Whichever reason the candidates choose to write about they should elaborate on it to emphasise the importance or significance of it.