Choose any two of the following passages from the Qur'an, and: (1) اللهُ لا إلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاء وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ (i) Allah. There is no god but He, the living, the self-subsisting, eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what is before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass any of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme. (Sura 2.255) (ii) اقرأَ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالقَلَمِ 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 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [4] Sura 2.255 Themes: Tawhid, One God; that He is unlike creation; that His knowledge is infinite; that the Throne represents His power. Candidates will develop these themes in their own way, e.g.: Saying that He looks after all the Heavens and earth and no-one is needed to look after Him. He doesn't sleep nor get tired in what He does. Humans only know what He allows them. His throne is understood as His majesty, uniqueness, knowledge, and having total power. It emphasises how He is the only one who can make decisions about His creation, yet is transcendent - completely independent from His creation.
2. [4] Sura 96.1-5 Themes: 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. This is the first revelation, it was the beginning of Islam and prophethood, and the knowledge that God gives to humankind.
3. [4] Sura 114 Themes: 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 to 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.
4. [4] Sura 2.255 importance: The importance of these themes is that these verses allow Muslims to learn and understand something about God in a way relevant to them. God's self-subsistence shows how certain attributes that affect humans do not affect Him, e.g. sleep, clearing the concept of God's reality. It reinforces Tawhid, which strengthens faith and understanding of God. He has the knowledge and power over all things and this passage is used as a prayer for protection. It was said by the Prophet (pbuh) to be one of the best passages of the Qur'an, so Muslims might recite it daily for protection. Candidates could say how they use Ayat al-Kursi in their lives.
5. [4] Sura 96.1-5 importance: The 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] Sura 114 importance: Through these verses Muslims get to know the kind of evils/mischief they have to be wary of, e.g. jinn, humans or internal whisperings such as jealousy. This means they should be aware of what's happening to them so they can recognise the signs of mischief and temptations. 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 He who people should seek refuge with.