Choose any two of the following passages from the Qur'an, and: (i) بسم اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الحَمْدُ للهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ اهدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ (i) 1. In the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful. 2. Praise be to Allah, the cherisher and sustainer of the worlds; 3. Most gracious, most merciful; 4. Master of the day of judgment. 5. You we worship, and your aid we seek. 6. Show us the straight way, 7. The way of those to whom You have given your grace, not those who earn your anger, nor those who go astray. (Sura 1) (ii) اقرأَ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بالقلم عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ (ii) 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. (Sura 96.1–5) (iii) قُلْ أَعُودُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ، مَلِكِ النَّاسِ، إِلَهِ النَّاسِ، مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَ النَّاسِ (iii) 1. Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind, 2. The King of mankind, 3. The God of Mankind, 4. From the mischief of the whisperer who withdraws, 5. Who whispers into the hearts of mankind, 6. Among jinns and among mankind. (Sura 114)

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2016). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [4] (a) Sura 1: The main themes are: the Lord of creation; God gives guidance; He is Merciful; tawhid, God is One. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., saying it is God who presides over judgement and controls the worlds; that God gives guidance to those who ask, which is a major theme in this sura; this sura is used as a prayer; He is the one to ask for forgiveness, and it is He who grants forgiveness to His humble servants; His Oneness means only He is deserving of worship.
2. [4] (a) Sura 96.1-5: The main themes are: God as Creator; God as the Most Generous; the first revelation/knowledge. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., God as Creator is shown in this sura through the way humans were created from a clot; He gives creation what they need, in this case, knowledge of God; importance of the first revelation is that it was the beginning of Islam and prophethood, and there's an emphasis on seeking knowledge to learn about faith and God.
3. [4] (a) Sura 114: The main themes are: God as refuge; God as Lord; God as Protector. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g., saying that only He can help in times of need, in this case from jinn and men. Seek help only from Him; He created everything so controls everything, even mischief makers. It's a warning of those who whisper evil/bad ideas to humans, and then disappear and leave them on their own; God is a protector from these things; it is one of the suras of protection. These are examples candidates can write about, they should be credited for other, relevant answers. Candidates should show how the theme(s) they choose is distinctive in that passage. The best answers will have a few themes with development.
4. [4] (b) Sura 1: This is recited in every prayer. 'No prayer is accepted without Fatiha' It is a conversation with God and He is the Creator, and God is replying to each verse. Through it humans communicate with God. Muslims use this to ask for guidance (given in the Qur'an and sunna), for mercy and help, even outside the prayer. Submitting to God brings humbleness into lives, and because Muslims are accountable to God they pray to be guided on the straight path.
5. [4] (b) Sura 96.1-5: Importance of this sura is that it allows humans to understand how God created them, and how He bestows knowledge upon them. Seeking knowledge is encouraged and so humankind should try their best to learn throughout their lives, especially religious knowledge so they can get to know their Lord. Each subject, RE, science, etc. has a value to it and can help humans get closer to God. It also helps Muslims understand how prophethood and Islam started and they should reflect upon what God has sent down for them to help them live their lives. So they should be grateful to God.
6. [4] (b) Sura 114: Through these verses Muslims get to know the kind of evils/mischief they have to be wary of. This means they should be aware of what's happening to them so they can recognise the signs of mischief. Praying and doing good deeds strengthens reliance on God. Reciting this sura with the other ‘qul's' is a source of protection. God is the King so it is Him who people should seek refuge with. Candidates can mention other points with examples or personalising passages to their own/Muslims' lives, could take them higher up the levels.