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The First Islamic Community – P1, Question 3-5

June 2012:

Q5. (a) Outline the main events in the lives of the Prophet’s grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husayn. (10)

(b) Explain how al-Husayn’s death remains important to Muslims today. (4)

November 2012:

Q4. (a) Write about the lives of any two of the following wives of the Prophet: Sawda bint Zama’a, Aisha
bint Abu Bakr, Hafsa bint Umar and Umme Salama. (10)

(b) What can the life of any one of these wives teach Muslims about marriage? (4)

Q5. (a) Describe the persecution faced by the first Muslims in Makkah. (10)

(b) What can Muslims in modern times learn from these stories? (4)

June 2013:

Q5. (a) Write about the lives of Umar and Uthman during the lifetime of the Prophet. (10)

(b) Why was Umar’s conversion important for the early Muslims? (4)

June 2013 (Re-sit):

Q5. (a) Give an account of the persecutions faced by the early converts to Islam in Makka. (10)

(b) How are these accounts relevant to Muslims now? (4)

November 2013:

Q5. (a) Give an account of the lives of the Prophet’s four daughters. (10)

(b) Can Muslims learn from the Prophet’s bond with Fatema? Give reasons for your answer. (4)

June 2014:

Q5. (a) Write about the life of the Prophet Mohammed’s first wife Khadija. (10)
(b) Taking two aspects of their relationship, explain how the marriage of the Prophet and Khadjia sets a
good example for Muslim marriages today. (4)

November 2014:

Q5. (a) Give an account of the lives of Abu Sufyan and Khalid bin Walid during the time of the Prophet.
(10)

(b) In your opinion, can Muslims today learn anything from Abu Sufyan’s involvement with the Prophet?
(4)

June 2015:

Q5. (a) Write about the Prophet’s wife Aisha during the lifetime of the Prophet. (10)

(b) ‘Aisha is a role model for Muslim women around the world.’ Say whether you agree or disagree with
this statement, giving reasons for your answer. (4)

Or they could say that she is not a role model because e.g., men and women now need modern role
models that are more relevant to their lives, so it is easier to understand them. The Shi’i point of view
could also be mentioned, and valid answers with explanation should be credited. Relevant answers
with reasons should be credited.

November 2015:

Q5. (a) Write about the lives of two of the Prophet’s wives whom he married after the death of Khadija.
(10)

(b) “The best of you is the one best to his wife” Explain what the Prophet meant by this statement and
how it is relevant to Muslims now. (4) (pg. 7 white book)

June 2016:

Q5. (a) Write about the lives of the Prophet’s uncles, Hamza, and Abu Sufyan. (10) (pg. 138, pg. 139)

(b) Many of the people who had been enemies of the Prophet accepted Islam. What lessons can
Muslims learn from this? (4)

November 2016:

Q5. (a) Give an account of the lives of Uthman and Ali during the lifetime of the Prophet. (10)

(b) Uthman was known to be generous with his wealth. How can Muslims now apply the trait of
generosity? (4)
June 2017:

Q5. (a) Outline the tasks performed by the Prophet’s scribes during his lifetime. (10)

The Qur’an was written in its entirety during the Prophet’s time even though it was not compiled in one
text. There were various scribes who had different roles as companions, who wrote the verses down on
a number of materials. They wrote on parchments, bone, dried leaves, amongst other things. Some of
them were official scribes who wrote letters for him (for example Ubayy ibn Ka’ab) whilst some became
scribes because they kept their own personal copies of the revelations for example ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr
ibn al-‘As. He sought the Messenger’s specific permission asking, ‘May I write down everything I hear
from you in the states of contentment and anger?’ He replied, ‘Yes, for I speak nothing but the truth.’ A
number of companions had their own personal copies of the words of the revelations, which were later
used to verify the one copy in the time of Abu Bakr. Companions who kept a private record of the text of
the Qur'an satisfied themselves as to the purity of their record by reading it out to the Prophet. Some of
the tasks of the scribes were writing letters and treaties, for example Abdullah ibn Masud was his
regular scribe in charge of writing and responding to letters. He was one of the scribes who wrote down
all the Revelation as well as Zayd bin Thabit, who the Messenger commanded to learn how to write
Hebrew so that he could respond on his behalf to those who wrote to him in that language. ‘Ali was also
an important scribe and wrote treaties for the Prophet. The Prophet used to instruct the scribes about
the sequence in which a revealed message was to be placed in a particular Sura (chapter). In this
manner, the Prophet arranged the text of the Qur’an in a systematic order till the end of the chain of
revelations. Zayd ibn Thabit reported, “We used to record the Qur’an from parchments in the presence
of the Messenger of God. “Some companions, who did not write down the revelations, had memorized
them instead and their versions were used to verify the written copies after the Prophet’s death.

(b) The scribes had the Prophet as a source of information. How useful is the internet as a source of
information about Islam? (4)

Candidates could say it is a useful source of information because e.g. there is a lot of information easily
available on the internet so it is possible to do a few searches and find a lot of sources available for you
to read on a subject. The Qur’an and most hadith books are all online now, so people can easily access
the information they need. People who may not have access to books about Islam can learn about it
online, and would be useful for those interested / new to Islam. They could say it is not useful because
e.g., the internet has a lot of information about Islam that is questionable, and it would be difficult to
know which sites are presenting the material in the correct way / giving the correct information about
an issue. Better answers may say that the Prophet said, “go to those who know”, meaning that people
should learn from scholars who have studied in a traditional way, as they would provide an
understanding that a person would not necessarily get from the internet. Those interested in Islam may
be put off by the sites that present Islam inaccurately, and it can also lead to people hating Islam /
Muslims because they have read information that is not true.

November 2017:

Q5. (a) Khadija bint Khuwaylid was the Prophet’s first wife. Write an account of her life in the period
she knew the Prophet. (10)
(b) The Prophet’s employer was a woman who was successful in business. What lessons can be derived
from this for Muslims now. (4)

June 2018:

Q5. (a) ‘Uthman and Ja’far were among the companions who migrated to Abyssinia. Write an account of
this migration and the events in it. (10)

(b) How does this migration compare to recent migrations of Muslims to other countries? (4)

Ans:

Candidates can present their own answers but should give details about their reasoning. They could say
that it can be easily compared to the migration of Muslims from Palestine/Myanmar/Syria, where
people are being tortured and oppressed and are trying to find hope in new places. Or they could say
that the migrations now are similar but not quite the same because Muslims are fleeing other Muslims,
or they are going to countries that do not always welcome them and try to send them back. Or they
could say that the migrations are not the same because often Muslims migrate now for economic
reasons, and so they are not facing the same hardships as those early Muslims.

Whichever perspective candidates choose to write about, they need to explain their reasons to be
able to get the higher marks.

November 2018:

Q5. (a) Write a detailed account of the lives of the Prophet’s daughters, Zaynab and Fatima. (10)

(b) What can Muslims learn from the Prophet about the relationship between fathers and daughters?
(4)

Ans:

Lessons could be that it is important for fathers to be compassionate with their daughters, that they
should love and respect them, and for daughters to show respect for their fathers. Examples of how this
could be done should be given.

June 2019- 11

Q5. (a) In Madina, the Helpers (Ansar) and Emigrants (Muhajirun) were made brothers. Give an account
of the main developments of this relationship. [10]

(b) How can Muslims apply this model of brotherhood to help their communities? [4]

June 2019 12
Q5 (a) Write a detailed account of the lives of Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Khalid ibn Walid during
the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh). [10]

(b) Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib showed loyalty to the Prophet (pbuh). How can Muslims show loyalty in
their everyday lives? [4]

Nov 2019 -12

Q5. (a) Write about the lives of ‘Uthman and ‘Ali during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh). [10]

(b) From ‘Ali’s early life, what lessons can young people learn about their role in the community? [4]

June 2020 – 12

Q5. (a) Give an account of the life of the Prophet’s wife Aisha during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh).
[10]

(b) From the example of Aisha, what lessons can be learnt about education in Islam? [4]

Nov 2020 – 12

Q5. (a) Write about the brotherhood in Madina that developed between the Helpers (Ansar) and the
Emigrants (Muhajirun). [10]

(b) How can Muslims today show their brotherhood and sisterhood towards each other? [4]

June 2021 – 11

5 (a) The first wife of the Prophet (pbuh) was Khadija. Write about the main events of her life. [10]

(b) What does Khadija’s marriage to the Prophet (pbuh) teach Muslims about family relationships? [4]

June 2021 -12

5 (a) Write about the life of the Prophet’s daughter, Fatima. [10]

(b) What can be learned from her life about the relationship between parents and children? [4]

Nov 2021 – 12

5 (a) Write about the lives of ‘Umar and ‘Uthman during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh). [10]

(b) What lessons can be learned from ‘Uthman’s life before he became Caliph? [4]
June 2022 -12

5 (a) Write about the lives of the Companions Bilal ibn Rabah and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. [10]

(b) What lessons can be learned about equality from either Bilal’s or Abu Sufyan’s conversion to Islam?
[4]

Nov 2022 – 12

4 (a) Write about the lives of the Prophet’s grandsons: Hassan ibn ‘Ali and Hussain ibn ‘Ali. [10]

(b) Hussain defended what he believed was right for the future of Islam. What lessons might

Muslims learn from this? [4]

5 (a) Write about the lives of two of the following wives of the Prophet (pbuh):

• Sawda bint Zama’a

• Aisha bint Abu Bakr

• Hafsa bint ͑Umar

• Umm Salama. [10]

(b) Choose from one of the wives named in part (a) and write about what her life might teach

Muslims about the role of women in society. [4]

June 2023 – 12

5 (a) Write an account of the lives of Amina bint Wahb and Halima Sa’adia during their time with

the Prophet (pbuh). [10]

(b) The Prophet (pbuh) was an orphan and raised by various people. How might this be an

example for Muslims today? [4]

Nov 2023 – 12

5 (a) Give an account of the life of ʿAli ibn Abi Talib during the life of the Prophet (pbuh). [10]

(b) How might ʿAli ibn Abi Talib’s life with the Prophet (pbuh) inspire young people in their lives

today? [4]