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Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2019). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. This is a two part answer, in the first part candidates need to give a detailed account of the election of Abu Bakr which should include the key points like how 'Umar took Abu Bakr to the Saqifa of Bani Saida where the Ansars had gathered to elect a caliph; Abu Bakr's persuasive argument to the gathering of why a Quraysh should lead the Muslims; the Ansars suggestion for having two leaders; Abu Jarra's intervention and how the nomination of Abu Bakr came about. Candidates could also mention the speech made by him upon his election and that will be seen as development of the answer.
2. Candidates need to select any two from the four false prophets who posed a threat in the time of the caliphate of Abu Bakr and write an account of them and say how they were dealt with by Abu Bakr and what the outcome was. The mark is not divided between the two parts but will be read as a whole.
3. When Abu Bakr became the first caliph of Islam he had to face serious challenges like the emergence of false prophets, refusal of some tribes to pay zakat, rejection of the political authority in Madina by some tribes/states etc., the death of several hundred huffaz in battles which gave rise to the fear that the Qur'an may therefore be in danger of getting lost, forgotten or corrupted if not compiled.
4. Candidates need to select any one threat, which in their opinion posed the greatest threat to the Islamic state and say why they have made that choice and what the consequences of not dealing with the threat could have been.