Describe how the Prophet's Hadiths can be used together with the Qur'an to help Muslims understand and practise their faith.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2015). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] Answers could begin by saying how Hadiths are the words of the Prophet (pbuh) which teach Muslims the righteous path and teach them to lead lives that will earn them the pleasure of God. Answers could also say that as Hadiths explain and expand upon the teachings of the Qur'an they are therefore a vital source of information and guidance on how to deal with the various situations that may arise in a Muslim's life. Here they could give examples of Hadiths being a source of guidance to Muslims, e.g. they could cite the Hadith related to inheritance i.e. 'A Muslim may not inherit from a non-Muslim, nor a non-Muslim inherit from a Muslim'. Even when fulfilling the pillars of Islam, Muslims need the Hadiths of the Prophet (pbuh) to guide them e.g. the Qur'an says to establish prayer but nowhere in the Qur'an does it say what the method of offering prayers is. Muslims learn it from the Prophet's Hadiths, 'Pray as you see me praying'. Well-developed answers could also refer to the fact that whenever the Qur'an is silent on a matter the Prophet's Hadiths are referred to for guidance as the Qur'an and the Hadiths always agree with one another, and that authoritative collections of Hadiths contain tafsir which are invaluable guides to key verses in the Qur'an and help Muslims understand the words of their creator better, and thus enables them to live their lives in accordance with the tenets of Islam.
2. [4] The Prophet's Hadiths carry the teachings of how to live righteously, how to engage with fellow human beings and his Hadiths also teach care and concern for all life and the world at large. By putting these teachings into action the community prospers. The vulnerable are looked after, the environment is protected, crime disappears; the list is endless. An evaluative response is being looked for in which candidates could identify the problems in their own community and of how their community could improve if the Prophet's teachings were put into practice, or they could say how their communities have improved with the application of the Prophet's teachings.