Associating partners (shirk) is opposed to believing in the oneness of God (tawhid) and can be divided into three main categories. Write about each category.

Mark scheme

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

1. 4(a) This question is asking the candidates to write about tawhid but from another perspective.
2. 4(a) 1. Shirk in the existence of God would constitute assigning partners to God or saying that there is more than one Creator or that there are more gods than one. It could also be committed by declaring God to be the father or son of someone. Well developed answers may well quote Sura 112:3 which says 'He does not beget, nor is He begotten.' This is the most unforgivable sin and should never be committed as God has said in several places in the Qur'an e.g. 'Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him, but He forgives anything else to whom He pleases.' (Al-Nisa 4:48)
3. 4(a) 2. Shirk in the worship of God can be committed by praying invoking or asking for help from any other than God and by offering sacrifice or slaughtering in the name of any other than God. Muslims should therefore only ask God for the fulfilment of their wishes or needs as that power lies only with him. Only He should be invoked.
4. 4(a) 3. Shirk in God's attributes means to ascribe qualities which are unique to God to some other being. It means to believe that some being other than God has the power to create, or make something perish or has the same knowledge as God or the same divine power. Muslims should therefore be careful to not commit this grave sin.
5. 4(a) All three kinds of shirk should never be committed ‘Whoever joins other gods with Allah, Allah will forbid him from the garden and fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong-doers be no one to help.' (Al-Maidah 5:72)
6. 4(b) Candidates in response to this question could say that belief in angels does make a Muslim's faith stronger. By believing in them, even though they cannot be seen, a Muslim is confirming his/her firm belief in all that the Qur'an says about them and what the Prophet (pbuh) has said about them. Some could say that the revealed faiths prior to Islam also believe in angels and this belief confirms the Muslim belief that Islam is a continuation and culmination of the previous faiths revealed by God hence making their faith even stronger. Yet some others could write that by believing in angels e.g. Jibra'il being the angel who brought revelations to the Prophet (pbuh) Muslims are convinced of the Qur'an being sent by God which in turn makes their faith stronger. All valid points of views should be credited.