RELIGIOUS STUDIES. J625/02 Islam: Beliefs and teachings and practices (Question 1) GCSE (9 1) Candidate Style Answers

Transcription

1 Qualification Accredited GCSE (9 1) RELIGIOUS STUDIES J625, J125 For first teaching in 2016 J625/02 Islam: Beliefs and teachings and practices (Question 1) Version 1

2 Contents Introduction 3 High level answer Question 1(a) answer 4 4 Question 1(b) answer 5 5 Question 1(c) answer 6 6 Question 1(d) answer 7 7 Question 1(e) answer 8 9 Medium level answer Question 1(a) answer Question 1(b) answer Question 1(c) answer Question 1(d) answer Question 1(e) answer

3 Introduction The sample answers and commentary in this resource have been written by senior examiners to help illustrate how the mark scheme could be applied. Please note that this resource is provided for advice and guidance only and does not in any way constitute an indication of grade boundaries or endorsed answers. Whilst a senior examiner has indicated a possible level for each Assessment Objective, in a live series the mark a response would get depends on the whole process of standardisation, which considers the big picture of the year s scripts. Therefore the level awarded here should be considered to be only an estimation of what would be awarded. How levels and marks correspond to grade boundaries depends on the Awarding process that happens after all/ most of the scripts are marked and depends on a number of factors, including candidate performance across the board. Details of this process can be found here: uk/images/ marking-and-gradingassuring-ocr-saccuracy.pdf. 3

4 High level answer Question 1 (a) (a) State three things that Muslims believe will happen on the Day of Judgement. [3] - Each person s book of deeds is read by Allah. - The dead wake up again. - People go to hell or paradise. 3 marks As a points marked question the examiner must look for three distinct identifiable contributions to the response in order to give the marks. What form these elements can take varies with the question. Because this question asks for three things the only material which can be credited are separate points which respond directly to the question. Additional descriptive or explanatory material, and/or exemplification attached to a point being made do not contribute to the answer in this case. Bullet points are an acceptable way to structure these responses and can help students keep track of how many points they have made. A question structured this way carries one mark for each correct point made so no further description is required. The candidate has not used technical terms such as resurrection; however they clearly know what the idea of resurrection entails and so the principles of positive marking ensure they gain the marks for their knowledge. 4

5 Question 1 (b) (b) Why are angels important to Muslims? [3] Angels are the servants of Allah and are very close to Allah, and Muslims want to serve and be close to Allah as well. They understand that angels work to help the relationship between humans and Allah by doing things like recording the deeds of human beings so that Allah can judge them on the Last Day. They are also messengers, and it was the Angel Jibra il that brought the Qur an to the Prophet. 3 marks As a why question this requires a degree of understanding and application of knowledge to an issue. The candidate has used their knowledge of what Angels do to illustrate how this supports the relationship between humanity and Allah. This is still a points marked question. That means that an identifiable contribution to the response must be recognised for each mark. This can be done in various ways with this style of question - the candidate might make three separate and relevant points; they might make one point and develop it in two distinct ways; they might make a single point, add some development and an example; or they might make a single point and give two correct illustrative examples. Because the question is not restricted (by requiring one reason for example) but simply asks why the scope of different approaches is wide. In this sample responses there are two statements made which answer the question directly - firstly that angels have a relationship with Allah that Muslims also strive for, and secondly that Angels perform tasks for Allah. Each of these is correct and relevant to the question, and so worth a mark. The second point is then exemplified with the reference to recording angels, which gains the third mark. 5

6 Question 1 (c) (c) What is meant by the term shirk? [3] Shirk is a huge sin, maybe the worst sin. Some Muslims call it the unforgiveable sin. It means putting something that isn t Allah on a level with Allah, like worshipping an image or another god. 3 marks As a points marked question the examiner must look for three distinct identifiable contributions to the response in order to give the marks. What form these elements can take varies with the question. As with part b this question is as broadly phrased as these three mark questions can get, and so any combination of statements, developments and example can constitute an acceptable response. As with the response to part b, this one gives two relevant statements, supported with example. The question has asked effectively for a brief description of the concept of shirk, so the recognition that it is a sin is a relevant point. The definition of it and the example in the second sentence give the other two marks. 6

7 Question 1 (d) (d) Explain the significance of salah for some Muslims. [6] Islam is built on five pillars that hold the religion up. They are salah, sawm, zakat and hajj. Salah means prayer, which is talking to God. It s not just prayer though - it is the formal prayer that they have to do five times every day. They have to wash first, in a special way called wudu, and they have a prayer mat to keep them clean and pure during the prayer time. They have to face Makkah while they make the prayers. There are movements that they have to make and specific things that they have to say when they pray in this way but there are also informal prayers where they can just talk to God as they like. Prayer is only properly salah is there is a niyyah for prayer, that is like intending to pray properly instead of just going through the motions. Muslims are supposed to stop what they are doing and pray at the set times wherever they happen to be. It gives a structure to their day. It also means that everyone knows they are Muslims; they can t hide it or pretend not to be without making Allah angry. It is a big commitment for them, but if they are good Muslims they will want to obey Allah and doing salah prayer five times every day shows just how obedient they can be. AO1-4 marks AO2-2 marks Total - 6 marks This question is marked according to the levels of response in the mark scheme. These levels set out criteria against which the response is judged and a best fit decided. The response should always be read as a whole, and judged as a whole against the specific levels of response for AO1 and AO2. The judgement is always made in the context of what can reasonably be expected of a 16 year old, given the time restraints of the question. Perfection is not necessary for full marks to be given. This response meets all the criteria for a mark in the top levels, for both AO1 and AO2. The candidate has a good range of relevant knowledge, and has identified wudu, the need to face Makkah and the formal nature of salah prayer which they have contrasted (although not by name) with dua. Where they have used technical terminology they have done so correctly. It is worth noting that the opening sentence is unnecessary to answering the question, although it presumably helped the candidate organise their knowledge in some way. It does not matter that they have only listed four of the five pillars, because this is not what the question was asking them for. As with incorrect information, this kind of irrelevant material is ignored by the examiner. In spite of this irrelevant introduction there is clear selection of material that is relevant to the question, and it is then applied to the issue of the significance of this practice. The second section identifies the regularity and structure prayer provides to the day, the fact that it marks people as Muslims and the obedience to Allah that such a commitment demonstrates. The candidate also identified at the start that all the pillars, including salah, are foundational in Islam. The significance of prayer for Muslims is thus successfully analysed by identifying the impact it has on Muslim life. The question does not demand a consideration of differences between Muslims, because formal prayer is one of the pillars of the religion regardless of the branch of Islam being practised. 7

8 Question 1 (e) (e) Prophethood is the most important Article of Faith. Discuss this statement. In your answer, you should: Analyse and evaluate the importance of points of view, referring to common and divergent views within Islam Refer to sources of wisdom and authority. [15] Spelling, punctuation and grammar [3] Faith is called iman by Muslims and it has six elements to it. These are belief in Allah, belief in angels, belief in the Qur an, belief in the prophets, belief in the day of judgement and belief in predestination. These six things are the basics of the religion of Islam, and are described in the Qur an which is Allah s own words, so they are really important. Prophethood is in the list but it is only one of six things. Most Muslims would say that anyone who rejects one or more of the six is not a Muslim, so not believing in prophethood would be bad but it would be equally as bad to not have any of the others. It seems likely that for most Muslims all six are equally important, and none can be picked out as more important than any of the others if you are going to call yourself a Muslim. The fact that Sunni and Shi a Muslims agree on the six articles demonstrates that they all have great importance. However this list is always given in the same order, which might imply that the top ones are the most important and the others less so. One way to think about it is that all the later five depend on the first one, everything else follows from believing in Allah because they are all things related to the power of Allah and the purpose Allah has for human beings. That would make belief in Allah the most important thing, with all the others together underneath that. Shirk is the sin of idolatry, or worshipping something that is not Allah. Muslims think that this is the worst sin, and so some Muslims might say that this means tawhid is the most important part of Muslim faith. Tawhid is the oneness of Allah. Saying that belief in prophethood is more important than this might lead to shirk, as it could lead someone to worship the prophets as if they were gods but Muslims believe they were just human beings. Prophethood is not only about Muhammad. Muslims believe he was the last Prophet, the seal of the prophets, and that the message he brought in the holy Qur an was the final and complete message from Allah to humanity. But there were other prophets before him who are also important to Muslims, and their history is also the history of Islam and the relationship between people and Allah. If human beings want to please Allah and live as good Muslims they need some guidance on how to do that. That s why the prophets were sent in the first place, to give that guidance. Without the prophets, and especially Muhammad, there would be no way to know what Allah really wanted and no Qur an to read and find out. Even once the Qur an was complete the Prophet was still important because there are lots of details the Qur an doesn t have - like it tells Muslims that they have to pray salah but it doesn t explain the details of that, those details come from the Sunnah of 8

9 the Prophet. Muslims follow Muhammad s example and they also use the hadith, which are things he said that aren t in the Qur an. The hadith are important for understanding Muslim law and ethics. All this could make someone think of the belief in prophets is the most important article for everyday life, because it affects how they live and act, even if philosophers don t agree. But just because Muslims do follow the example of the Prophet doesn t mean that it is the only possible way Allah could tell them what is wanted - an all powerful God could communicate in other ways if there were no prophets. It s just that prophets are what Allah chose. For Muslims everything depends on Allah, and happens according to what Allah decides, so if prophets are important it is because Allah has decided that they should be. In conclusion I think most Muslims would find the idea that one article of faith could be more important than any of the others to be a bit silly. The six things are all parts of the whole thing that is faith, and it doesn t really divide up. That dividing is just to help people understand what is involved in being a faithful Muslim. But I also think if you pushed someone to summarise the essence of Islam it would be faith in Allah, because as I said before all the other things come from Allah to begin with. AO1-3 marks AO2-12 marks Total - 15 marks This question is marked according to the levels of response in the mark scheme. These levels set out criteria against which the response is judged and a best fit decided. The response should always be read as a whole, and judged as a whole against the specific levels of response for AO1 and AO2. The judgement is always made in the context of what can reasonably be expected of a 16 year old, given the time restraints of the question. Perfection is not necessary for full marks to be given. The rubric in the question is a subject requirement and therefore must be addressed in the question. Failure to address these two points of analysing and evaluating common and/or divergent points of view or refer to sources of wisdom and authority will result in awarding lower levels of response. References to sources of wisdom and authority can be creditable that include not only sacred texts but wisdom from religious leaders, culture, customs, laws etc. These do not need to be always scriptural. This response is focussed throughout on the stimulus, which suggests that prophethood is a more important article of faith than any of the others. The candidate demonstrates in the opening paragraph that they understand what the articles of faith are, and their understanding of prophethood and its role/ importance in Islam is evident throughout the response. Their knowledge is clear, and it is carefully selected and applied to the stimulus so that all criteria for AO1 are met. The response is discursive throughout, offering and supporting a range of viewpoints with comments offered on these perspectives. There is a clear conclusion that pulls together a coherent standpoint from the various arguments made. While it is possible to imagine a better structured, or more elegantly phrased response, the candidate has met all the requirements of the level descriptors. Evaluation/analysis is often understood as being an assessment of the weakness or strength of an argument, and this is one way to approach it. This candidate has not done that; instead they have considered the different arguments in the light of the knowledge of Islam as a religion, and weighed up how a particular perspective might fit with other things that are important to religion. A good example is the section on shirk, where the candidate reflects on whether choosing an article of faith to be the most important could lead a Muslim into that sin. 9

10 Mid-level answers Question 1 (a) (a) State three things that Muslims believe will happen on the Day of Judgement. [3] God will judge the dead people because it s the last day of the world. 1 mark As a points marked question the examiner must look for three distinct identifiable contributions to the response in order to give the marks. What form these elements can take varies with the question. In this case since the question explicitly asks for three things there must be three separate points made for full marks. This candidate has given only one creditable point - that the dead will be judged by God. Judgement is referred to in the question, but the references to God and the dead demonstrate additional knowledge on top of what the question provides. However, the development about the last day of the world is not a second point in response to the question and, with this question style, no marks are available for development of a single point. 10

11 Question 1 (b) (b) Why are angels important to Muslims? [3] Angels are important because Muslims have to believe in them as an article of faith. They were made from light and are immortal. They are not the same a djinn. Mostly they live in heaven and serve Allah but they can appear to people and bring messages. 2 marks As a points marked question the examiner must look for three distinct identifiable contributions to the response in order to give the marks. What form these elements can take varies with the question. Given the breadth of this question - a why, not limited by a specified number of reasons - the candidate is free to combine points of knowledge with development and/or example as they see fit. This response begins with a point of knowledge, by referencing the six articles of faith of Sunni Islam. This is correct, and relevant to the question but it remains undeveloped. Instead the candidate gives some description of the qualities of angels, which is not what the question has asked for. It would be possible to make such material relevant to the question but the candidate has not done so here. The final point about angels appearing to human beings is a second, undeveloped reason for the importance of angels. This can gain a mark since the question does not specify a number of points to be explored. 11

12 Question 1 (c) (c) What is meant by the term shirk? [3] Worshipping stuff that is not Allah, like a picture of Muhammad. 2 marks As a points marked question the examiner must look for three distinct identifiable contributions to the response in order to give the marks. What form these elements can take varies with the question. As with question 1b above this question is phrased broadly and the candidate can therefore legitimately respond in a variety of ways. This response makes a relevant point by giving the core definition of shirk, which is worth one mark. This is then developed with the example of idolatry for a second mark. 12

13 Question 1 (d) (d) Explain the significance of salah for some Muslims. [6] Salah means praying. Muslims have to do it five times every day, at set times. They perform wudu and put out their prayer mat and then they pray. They face Makkah. It is important to them because it is a command from Allah, and they have to obey Allah. Allah created humanity and will judge their actions when they die so to avoid hell they must be good Muslims. Also the Prophet Muhammad prayed like this, and Muslims follow his example whenever they can because he is so close to God. That means they want to pray this way too. AO1 3 marks AO2-2 marks Total - 5 marks This question is marked according to the levels of response in the mark scheme, these levels set out criteria against which the response is judged and a best fit decided. The response should always be read as a whole, and judged as a whole against the specific levels of response for AO1 and AO2. The judgement is always made in the context of what can reasonably be expected of a 16 year old, given the time restraints of the question. Perfection is not necessary for full marks to be given. This example is within Level 3 for AO1. There is some correct and relevant knowledge about what salah is and what it involves, and with reference to following the example of the Prophet Muhammad. There is a selection of appropriate knowledge but underdeveloped. However, the range makes it more than limited. AO2 is dealt with almost wholly separately to AO1, in the second part of the answer. This material is Level 2, gaining both of the available marks by successful analysis of the issue. It includes the correct identification of two reasons why salah might be considered important, and each of these reasons is developed with explanatory detail. The question does not demand a consideration of differences between Muslims, because formal prayer is one of the pillars of the religion regardless of the branch of Islam being practised. 13

14 Question 1 (e) (e) Prophethood is the most important Article of Faith. Discuss this statement. In your answer, you should: Analyse and evaluate the importance of points of view, referring to common and divergent views within Islam Refer to sources of wisdom and authority. [15] Spelling, punctuation and grammar [3] Prophethood is an article of faith, which means it is a thing that Muslims have to believe in. Therefore it is important to Muslims. The question is asking me if it is the most important though, because there are other things Muslims have to believe in too, like God. I think most Muslims would believe that God is the most important thing to believe in. To become a Muslim you say the Shahadah which says I believe there is no God but God, so it s built in from the very beginning. If you aren t willing to say it then you can t be a Muslim. On the other hand Muhammad is the prophet of Allah and was sent by God to tell Muslims about God. So they wouldn t know about the Shahadah without him. That could mean they see Muhammad as the foundation and God as something Muhammad taught them about. But they would still be careful not to say that Muhammad is God, because that is a sin for Muslims. On the other hand again Muslims have to do lots of things if they want to be good Muslims. They have to pray salah, give zakat and fast at Ramadan. These are things that non-muslims can see them do and so recognise that they are Muslims, while beliefs are personal and can be hidden. That might make the religious practices which they have to do the most important thing to some Muslims because it shows that they are proud of who they are and of their religion. It also means they are doing what Muhammad did and so being like the Prophet. In conclusion I think most of these arguments are weak, because you can t just pick and choose bits of a religion. Either it is your religion or it isn t. Prophethood is very important, because without it there would be no Islam, but I don t think you can say it is more important than God because Muslims don t think anything is more important than God. AO1-2 marks AO2-6 marks Total - 8 marks 14

15 This question is marked according to the levels of response in the mark scheme. These levels set out criteria against which the response is judged and a best fit decided. The response should always be read as a whole, and judged as a whole against the specific levels of response for AO1 and AO2. The judgement is always made in the context of what can reasonably be expected of a 16 year old, given the time restraints of the question. Perfection is not necessary for full marks to be given. The rubric in the question is a subject requirement and therefore must be addressed in the answer. Failure to address these two points of analysing and evaluating common and/or divergent points of view or refer to sources of wisdom and authority will result in awarding lower levels of response. References to sources of wisdom and authority can be creditable that include not only sacred texts but wisdom from religious leaders, culture, customs, laws etc. These do not need to be always scriptural. This is an interesting response because the candidate does not seem to be entirely clear on what articles of faith means. Nevertheless they have managed to make a response to the question, and have demonstrated sufficient relevant knowledge of Islam to achieve Level 2 in the AO1 descriptors. The knowledge deployed might not be what an examiner would expect them to use, but they have still shown that they understand the role of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam and that there are other elements of religion that may be important to Muslims. There is reference to the Shahadah and Muhammad as sources of wisdom and authority. AO2 is limited, partly because the candidate doesn t consider prophethood in relation to other articles of faith but rather in relation to religious practices. This could be used to create an interesting and relevant discussion about the relative importance of belief and practice in Islam as a means of responding to the stimulus, but to do that greater understanding of the concept of faith would be required. It is not however wholly irrelevant, neither is it so simplistic as to be held at Level 1. The material is correct, and it has been used in an attempt at argument which is broadly relevant to the stimulus as the candidate has understood it. The level two descriptors allow for a response to be placed in that level even where the stimulus has been partially misunderstood and the presentation of different views meets the other requirements of that level. The concluding paragraph is an attempt, albeit a limited one, to reach a judgement on the issue in the stimulus. As a result the response meets the criteria for placement in Level 2. 15

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