Write about the lives of two of the following Companions: Salman al-Farsi, Ja'far ibn Abi Talib, Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (Oct/Nov 2021). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. Candidates may include some of the following information. All other relevant information must be credited.
2. Salman al-Farsi: he was from Isfahan in Persia; he grew up a Magian then became a Zoroastrian priest in charge of a fire temple. He left his family to join a Christian group and travelled around the Middle East visiting and learning from various priests. One of them told him about the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) being the final messenger.
3. Salman found a group of Arab leaders to take him to Madina, but half way there they made him a slave and sold him to a Jew, who eventually took him to Yathrib. He lived as a slave there and then heard the news of the Prophet's arrival in Madina.
4. He found the signs of the priest to be true when he was looking for the seal of the Prophet (pbuh) and submitted to Islam. The Prophet (pbuh) and companions helped him buy his freedom from slavery and the Prophet (pbuh) himself planted the date palms.
5. At the Battle of Khandaq he had the idea of digging the trench. He was unique in that he was well versed in Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Islam.
6. He was the first person to translate the Qur'an into a foreign language, translating parts of it into Persian. He is said to have died during the reign of the Caliph 'Uthman, fighting as an army commander.
7. Ja'far ibn Abi Talib: he was the son of Abu Talib and so the cousin of the Prophet (pbuh), and was raised in the household of his uncle Abbas. He was an early convert to Islam, and went in the second delegation that migrated to Abyssinia, with his wife Asma bint Umays. There he was chosen as a spokesperson for the Muslims and spoke to the Negus when the Quraysh accused the Muslims of abandoning their people and asked the Negus to return them to Makka.
8. The Negus asked the Muslims about the religion they had entered into. Ja'far replied saying that before Islam they were ignorant and immoral and Islam called them to One God, to speak the truth and to refrain from bloodshed. Ja'far then recited a portion of sura Maryam.
9. He lived with his family in Abyssinia for 10 years and then migrated to Madina. He was generous and considerate of the welfare of others and became known as 'the father of the poor'. The following year he was sent to fight at the Battle of Mut'a and died there.
10. Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf: He was one of the first eight persons to accept Islam and was one of the ten promised Paradise. His name in pre-Islamic days was Abu Amr. But when he accepted Islam the Prophet (pbuh) called him Abd al-Rahman - the servant of the Beneficent God.
11. Abd al-Rahman faced persecutions with the early Muslims by the Quraysh and remained firm in his faith. When some Muslims left Makka for Abyssinia because of the continuous and unbearable persecution, Abd al-Rahman also went.
12. Soon after arriving in Madinah, the Prophet made brothers of the Muhajirin and the Ansar. Abdur-Rahman made the brother of Saad ibn ar-Rabi'ah. Saad was willing to share his wealth and family with Abd al-Rahman, but he wanted to work himself so asked to be shown the marketplace. He was a great merchant and this led to him becoming a wealthy man.
13. He fought at the battles of Badr and Uhud, and at the Battle of Tabuk he donated generously for the expedition and then spent money equipping those people who were too poor to equip themselves. At Tabuk he also had the honour of being the only person to have led the Prophet (pbuh) in prayer.
14. His generosity was well known, and in one incident he gave away all the wealth of his caravan to the people of Madina. After the death of the Prophet (pbuh), he took it upon himself to look after the needs of the Prophet's wives, fixing them stipends from his own money. When asked the secret of his wealth he said that he never lifted a stone unless he expected to find gold or silver under it.
15. He was one of the six persons chosen by 'Umar to form the council of shura to choose the Khalifa after his death. He died around 653 at the age of 75.
16. Candidates may include some of the following information. All other relevant information must be credited.
17. They can buy fewer clothes or wear the same clothes for longer before getting new ones.
18. They can give away more of their wealth to others and live more simply at home to allow for this.
19. They can eat less, waste less food and share their food more often with neighbours and friends.
20. These are just some examples, other examples should be credited where relevant.