Write about the moral, social and economic benefits of a Muslim fasting.

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

1. [10] 5(a) Fasting is an obligation upon Muslims that needs to be fulfilled and, in turn, has several benefits. It builds taqwa in a Muslim. It does so by teaching sincerity to a Muslim and helps a person live by the rules of his/her faith; fasting teaches individuals to control and discipline their primal desires and morally strengthens them; it teaches self-control, enabling individuals to resist temptations, thus strengthening the moral core of a Muslim. Fasting creates a sense of awareness to the plight of others and takes away selfishness, and thereby improves social relations, building an atmosphere of virtue, peace and brotherhood. Many people give zakat in the month of Ramadan and a lot of sadaqa is given in this month as well, which improves the economic fibre of the community. Candidates could give other benefits than those given. All valid responses to be credited.
2. [4] 5(b) Any one reward which is the most significant in the opinion of the candidate needs to be chosen and written about with understanding and evaluation. An example should be given to support their answer, e.g. by fasting the general health of an individual improves as the digestive system is given a rest. Also fasting helps a person to lose weight, get rid of toxins from the body, etc.