Choose three events from the Prophet's life that demonstrate his moral character, and write in detail about them.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2020). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] Candidates can offer a variety of answers, but they should identify an event in the life of the Prophet (pbuh) and give details as to the character of the Prophet (pbuh) during that event. Examples they could write about are:
2. [10] Kindness: At the time of the persecutions in Makka there was an old woman who threw rubbish on the Prophet (pbuh) every day as he walked to the mosque. One day she was not there so he asked her neighbour about her well-being and found out she was ill. He asked permission to visit the woman. When he entered the house, the woman thought that he had come there to take his revenge when she was unable to defend herself because of sickness, but the Prophet (pbuh) assured her that he had come to her, not to take any revenge, but to see her and to look after her needs, as it was the command of God that if anyone is sick a Muslim should visit them and should help them if help is needed.
3. [10] Merciful: The Prophet (pbuh) went to preach Islam to the people of Ta'if, who rejected him and chased him away, throwing stones at him causing to bleed. When the angel Jibril came and said God has given permission to destroy the people of Ta'if upon the Prophet's command, the Prophet (pbuh) replied that he would rather have someone from their community believe in and worship one God.
4. [10] Trustworthy: The Makkans knew of the Prophet's trustworthiness and called him al-Amin. Even after prophethood they continued to entrust their belongings with him knowing that he would keep them safe; on migration to Madina he returned all their belongings through 'Ali.
5. [10] Truthful: He was known to the Quraysh as al-Sadiq. Even after prophethood they rejected his message but still believed he would not tell a lie. When the Prophet (pbuh) was asked to preach publicly on Mount Safa, the Quraysh agreed that they had never heard him tell a lie. At the time when Abu Sufyan met with the Byzantine King, he testified to the truthfulness of the Prophet (pbuh) despite not being Muslim at the time and being considered an enemy of the Muslims.
6. [10] Humble: despite the Prophet's status, he never lived an extravagant life; his wife Aisha related that at home he would sweep the house, stitch his own clothes, fix his own sandals, help employees in their work and eat his meals with them. He did not think of himself as better than the poor, and would accept invitations from slaves and the poor; he also showed his humility at the Conquest of Makka.
7. [4] Candidates can choose any of the events and say why they think it is important for Muslims now. The answer should be relevant, and the reasons should be given for their answers.