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Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2017). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] (a) The Prophet faced a lot of hostility when he was in Makka, and especially after he started preaching openly. The Quraysh changed their attitude from being one of respect to one of hostility and anger. Throughout this period the Prophet did not retaliate or get angry himself. From the beginning he was patient in that he waited for guidance from God before teaching others or preaching openly. He did not try to rush the message to hurry people into accepting Islam. When the persecutions started he bore them patiently. His patience was shown when the old woman used to throw rubbish on him and he visited her when sick. His enemies would often come when he was praying and try to disturb his prayer by whistling and clapping, but the Prophet would not say anything or confront them. When the intestines of a camel were put on his back while prostrating, he did not react or get angry, but stayed in that position until his daughter came and took it off his back. His patience was also shown when he lost those closest to him in a short period of time, namely Khadija and Abu Talib. Instead of despairing, he sought the reward of God by praying to Him. He waited for God to allow him to migrate, despite the risk to his life. Good candidates will be able to mention most of the above with some detail in their answer. The best answers will relate their stories to the quality of patience rather than giving a narrative of the persecutions the Prophet faced.
2. [4] (b) Candidates could offer examples from their daily routine, or common events in their lives, where patience and self-restraint is required, and be able to show how it is being applied. They could say that generally people are required to have patience because daily life is so busy and everyone wants everything done quickly, but people have to be patient and do things in their own time as many things cannot be done instantly; that they need to be patient when they want new clothes etc., because they or their parents may not be able to provide them straight away. This also shows self-restraint; if there is a lot of traffic on the road they should be patient and not get angry; they should have patience if tragedy befalls them, e.g. the death of a family member or a serious illness; self-restraint is required when reading about Islam online/in media, how it is portrayed, e.g. the cartoons of the Prophet and the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Candidates can offer other examples, but the better answers will be able to develop their choices.