O Level Islamic Studies by Ahsan Naqvi

Q         Discuss the importance of Jibra’il in comparison to other angels. [4-N-10] Jibrail (AS) is the chief of all angels. He has the honour that he brought the messages of Allah and the Books of Allah to the prophets. In that way he was the means of communication between the prophets and Allah. He is superior to all angels because Allah Himself has described his respect. In Sura Al Qadr, Allah says: “In this Night, the angels and Rooh descend with the permission of their Lord”. In this Ayat, Rooh is angel Jibrael. Jibril (as) is a very huge figure. When the Prophet (sw) saw him in original form, he had covered the entire horizon. Jibril (as) was also chosen for very special tasks too. He brought the message to Maryam (as) of the birth of Essa (as). He also came to the Prophet (sw) in the form of a human and talked to him in the presence of other companions. In many respects he is different from other angels.

Q         What lessons can Muslim learn from these stories? [4-N-13-2058/11] From Ibraheem (as): ·         The lesson of Tauheed or oneness of Allah ·         Use of our sense to distinguish between right and wrong ·         To find truth from the signs of nature. ·         To be brave and firm when we are sure of a truth From Essa (as) ·         To believe that like other human beings, Essa (as) was only a human being. He has got nothing to do with the powers of Allah ·         To believe in the miracles given by Allah to the prophets. ·         To believe that every miracle is due to the power of Allah and not because of the personal power of prophets. ·         To believe that allah saves us from all problems. When we see the truth and the right, we should accept it.

Q         Write about the experiences of the two prophets you have studied in the Quran (not including the Prophet Mohammad (sw)). [10-N-13-2058/11] Ibrahim (as) was sent about 2500 years before Mohammad (saw). He was given a very high place as prophet by Allah. From him, two major races emerged; Bani Israel and Bani Ismail. The passage shows that he was a strong believer in oneness of Allah and he never committed Shirk. We also come to know that he used his common sense in order to recognize Allah and ultimately he concluded that Allah is Al Mighty and All Powerful. We also see the same signs around us but we do not think. So also did we show Abraham the power and the laws of the heavens and the earth, so that he might have certainty. [6:75] We also learn that when Ibrahim (as) came to his final decision that everything in this universe is controlled by Allah, he declared it clearly to his people that he was ready to worship anything but one Allah. From the holy Quran,

Q         Briefly explain why Allah revealed different books from time to time.                                                                [4-N-11] Allah created man and spread the mankind on this earth with the purpose that they should obey Allah. The earth for the human kind is a testing ground and all human beings die after the completion of a fixed time of their life. In the beginning of humanity, there was the worship of one Allah and there was no shirk but gradually Satan put the human beings on to his path and involved them in shirk and other sins. Now it became important that they should be guided to the right path. For this purpose, Allah appointed prophets among them who taught them the right path. When humanity further developed and formed into nations, it became important to give them a certain law regarding the pattern of life they should have on the earth. For this purpose, Allah gave His books to mankind through His prophets. The initial books were the script

Q         Explain what Muslims mean by the title “Seal of the Prophets”.    [4-N-08][4-J-02] “Mohammad (saw) is not the father of any of your men, but he is the   messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets -----”(Al Ahzab-40) The word “seal” or the Arabic word “Khatim” is used to close something. Here it means that the chapter of prophethood has been closed and after Mohammad (saw), no prophet will come until the Day of Judgment. Mohammad (saw) says: “The building of Islam was complete but there was space for one last brick.   That brick is me”. Mohammad (saw) has delivered the final message of Islam to humanity. Quran is the Book of Allah which is well preserved and safe from any corruption or change. The teachings of Mohammad (saw) are also safe and a part of Muslims’ lives since the very beginning of Islam. The teachings of Islam are applicable to every society and every period of time. Due to these reasons there is no need for any prophets. In his last s

Q         What does a Muslim believe by the words 'And Muhammad is the messenger of God'?                                   [6-J-07][6-J-03][6-J-00] Mohammad (saw) is the last messenger (Rusul) in the line of prophets which started from Adam (as). He gave the same message which was given by the other prophets. It is to believe in one God without any partnership. It is to believe in the Resurrection and the Day of Judgment in order to correct attitude according to the will of Allah and believing that whatever the Prophet (saw) is saying is right as he has no personal interest in giving this message. However Mohammad (saw) is for the entire humanity and for every period of time until the Day of Judgment. The worships in Islam and the social laws are applicable to every society and they are not concentrated to a particular nation. Mohammad (saw) was given the holy Quran which is the last Book of Allah. Allah has preserved the holy Quran from corruption and change. He has

Q         Explain how this belief influences the daily living of a Muslim. [4-J-09] Q         How are these prophets and their messages important for Muslims?                                                             [4-N-13-2058/22] The prophets of Allah were the representatives of Allah on this earth. Allah wants every human being to be good to each other. This is only possible when the concept of Tauheed and the Day of Judgment is clear in our mind. A Muslim believes in all the prophets of Allah and the prophets gave the concept of loving humanity. The prophets also asked the human beings to serve others in the best possible way. The teachings of Mohammad (saw) are not different from the other prophets. His Ahadith are full of commands relating to human rights. Prophets also asked us to believe in one Allah, follow His way and not to make partners with Him. This concept of Tauheed takes us out of the slavery of other human beings. The prophets told us about the Day o

Belief in the Prophets   -   Rusul & Nabi Q         Outline the most important features of the Quran teachings about prophethood.                      [4-N-03][4-N-05][4-J-04] Q         What are the main features of the belief in the line of messengers (Rusul) who were sent before the time of the Prophet Mohammad (saw)?     10-J-03][10-J-07][10-J-00] Q         Write about Muslim belief in prophets.                         [10-J-09] Q         Give a full account of the Muslim belief in prophets.             [10-N-11] Q         Give an account of Muslim belief in the following: (i) angels; and   (ii) prophets.                                                       [10-N-12-paper 21] Q         Give an account of Muslim belief in prophets and the messages they preached.                              [10-N-13-2058/22] Prophets or the Messengers of Allah were all chosen by Allah. They were all human beings who were sent to particular nations and communities. They

Q         To what extent does this belief affect the daily living of Muslims?  [4-J-11] Belief in the predestination and decree of God (Qaza and Qadr) plays a very important role in a Muslim’s daily life. It is very important to understand the concept correctly. The right concept demands that we should plan and work hard on that plan. Our planning should be based on the will of Allah. It means that if we plan something which is against the Quran and Sunnah, we will face the anger of Allah in this life. When we make a good plan and put our hard work in it, we should leave the result to Allah. The misunderstanding of this concept is harmful to us. This is wrong that we quit planning and hard work because whatever is in our destiny will happen automatically. At the same time, this is also wrong that we should believe that the result of our planning will come out in our favour without the help of Allah. Those who believe in Allah are peaceful people because if they suffer any los

God's Predestination and Decree—Qaza and Qadr Q         Write short accounts of Muslim belief about God’s Predestination and Decree. [4-J-05]5-specimen paper 09] Q         What does the statement ‘There is no ability or power except through Allah’ tell you about Muslim belief in Allah’s predestination and decree? [10-J-11] Meaning and significance Predestination is Qadr which is derived from the word Qadir, which is an attribute of Allah meaning all powerful. Allah is the creator of everything and He is the also the creator of human beings. “To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the on earth and He is    most High, most Great”.   [42:4] Allah knows it very well what is good for us and what is bad. He has complete control over His creation. However, Allah has given us a choice of selecting right (Halaal) or selecting wrong (Haraam) and for this, He has provided us guidance in His Book Quran and in the Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (saw). The purpose of

Q         Why is the belief in resurrection important to Muslims in their daily living?                                                                 [4-J-10] Q         Explain the importance of the Day of Judgment in Muslim belief. [4-N-12] Death is a physical reality. Muslims believe that after death, the soul of a person is kept in a place called “Barzakh” where they will stay until the Day of Judgment. One day Allah will announce the end of life on earth. Israfeel (as) is ready to announce it and waiting for the command of Allah.There will be a massive earth quake and everything will finish. After some time, Allah will announce that all human beings should be given life again and they should answer Allah for what they did on earth. Allah will do justice and people will be sent to paradise or hell.  “Truly He who gives life to the dead earth can surely give life   to men who are dead”.       [41.39] This concept is the fundamental belief of the Muslim faith. If a

Q         Write short accounts of Muslim belief about Resurrection and the Last day.                                                                 [4-N-05] Significance  “Truly He who gives life to the dead earth can surely give life to men who are dead”.                                                                               [41.39] Allah has created us and He knows what is right for us and what is wrong. Therefore Allah sent prophets and Books to guide human beings. Muslims believe that after our death, we will be given life again (Resurrection) and we will be accountable to God for our good and bad deeds. Accountability starts as soon as a person dies but the stages of the Day of Judgment are well defined in Sura Al Qariah and Sura Al Zilzaal. The main events On a normal day, Allah will decide to end this world. Angel Israfeel will blow the trumpet and the sound will create a horrible earthquake. Human beings will be in a panic like scattered moths and finally

Q         Write short accounts of Muslim belief about Books. [4-N-07][4-J-04][4-J-02][4-N-08] Q         Give a descriptive account of the Muslim belief in revealed books. [10-N-10] Q         Name the revealed books mentioned in the Quran, giving the names of messengers they were revealed to and the message they contained. [10-N-14-2058/22] Q         All revealed books were sent by God. What in your opinion makes the Quran unique?                                                                                  [4-N-14-2058/22] Books of Allah contain the messages which Allah gave to humanity through his prophets. The purpose was to provide guidance to human beings so that they should not be having any argument on the Day of Judgment that they did not receive guidance from Allah. It is generally believed that it was angel Jibreel who brought all the Books to the prophets. We learn from the Quran about the scriptures and Books given to: Scriptures to Ibrahim (as)

Belief in the Books of Allah

Q         Discuss the importance of Jibra’il in comparison to other angels. [4-N-10] Jibrail (AS) is the chief of all angels. He has the honour that he brought the messages of Allah and the Books of Allah to the prophets. In that way he was the means of communication between the prophets and Allah. He is superior to all angels because Allah Himself has described his respect. In Sura Al Qadr, Allah says: “In this Night, the angels and Rooh descend with the permission of their Lord”. In this Ayat, Rooh is angel Jibrael. Jibril (as) is a very huge figure. When the Prophet (sw) saw him in original form, he had covered the entire horizon. Jibril (as) was also chosen for very special tasks too. He brought the message to Maryam (as) of the birth of Essa (as). He also came to the Prophet (sw) in the form of a human and talked to him in the presence of other companions. In many respects he is different from other angels.

Q         Write short accounts of Muslim belief about angels. [4-N-08][4-J-05][4-J-04][4-J-02][5-specimen paper 09] Q         What are the Muslim beliefs about angels?                             [10-J-10] Q         Give an account of Muslim belief in the following: (i) angels; and (ii) prophets.                                                                        [10-N-12-paper 21] Like the human beins, Jinns and every other creation, angels are also the creation of Allah. Arabs believed that they were the daughters of God. In other religions too, angels were believed to be partners of Allah in His powers but Allah decrares it clearly that they are the creation like other creations. They are made of light (Noor). They praise Allah all the time. It comes in Ahadith that like our Kaaba, there is another Kaaba in the heaves and every day thousands of angels perform its Tawaaf. They also perform duties Allah has assigned them. The angels are the workers of Allah. The ent

Belief in angels

Q         Explain how the declaration of faith (shahada) is acted upon through the remaining four pillars of Islam. [4-N-12] Declaration of Faith or Shahada is the fundamental of Islamic Faith. It is demonstrated in all four pillars of Islam. In the prayers or salat it is demonstrated in many places. Azaan itself is the declaration of Shahada. During prayers we repeat this declaration saying Allah Akbar. In Saum or fasting, we do not eat or dring anything though we are alone. This is the result of Shahada and fear of Allah. In Zakaat, we pay a certain amount only due to the fear of God. Besides that we help humanity only because of the belief in one Allah. For Hajj, we spend huge amount of money and travel a long way. There is no worldly gain behind this difficulty. However millions of Muslims perform Hajj only for the sake of Allah. They recite in Hajj: “O Allah, I am in your service.There is no partner of Yours.” which is also a demonstration of Tauheed

Q         ‘There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’.                Describe the Muslim beliefs summarized by the declaration of faith  (shahada). [10-N-12-2058-22] To believe that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad (saw) is His Apostle is an integral part of Muslim faith. A true Muslim submits his life only to Allah. He follows the way of God and avoids everything forbidden by God. He believes in Allah and all of His attributes. These attributes are very well presented in Ayat ul Kursi and Sura Al Ikhlaas. Ayatul Kursi gives the following attributes of Allah: He is alive, eternal and self-subsisting, active, Lord of everything, accepts interceding, has the knowledge of past and the future, giver of knowledge and the possessor of all powers. Sura Al Ikhlaas says that Allah is One and Unique, Absolute, having no children or parents and no one is like Him. When Muslims say that Mohammad is the messenger of God, they believe that Mohamma

Q       What do Muslims mean when they call the Quran Kalam Allah. [10-J-99] It means that Muslims have a firm belief that the holy Quran is the real Book of Allah. Unlike Torat, Injeel and Zuboor which are amended and corrupted by human beings, Quran is in its purest form. It was preserved in the book form within a few months of the death of the Prophet Mohammad (saw). All prominent companions were alive and the Quran was also safe in scattered writing. Muslims have Ijma that there is no change in the Quran. Allah says in the Quran: "We have revealed this and We will preserve it". Allah challenged Arabs who were proud of their command over their language to make only one Sura like that of Quran and they failed. This shows that it was not a human speech but it was divine. The pagans of Makkah used to stop people listening to the Quran and called Mohammad (saw) magician because the Quran would change the person completely. A good example is the conversion of Umar

Q         What do Muslims mean when they call God Al Rehman, Al Rahim (the Compassionate, the Merciful)                                                      [6-J-99] Rehman and Raheem are the names of Allah and show two attributes of Allah. They are the part of Sura Al Fatihah. The meaning of both the phrases is the same. Allah is very kind but Al Rahim has a higher degree of kindness. Muslims have a firm belief that Allah is not cruel with humanity. Allah has created human beings and He asked angels and Jinns to prostrate Adam. Allah provides us every need of life. Allah does not punish us on every sin and in spite of our sins, He does not stop His blessings upon us. With reference to Sura Fatihah, we cannot understand Quran unless Allah shows His mercy and shows us the right path. In Sura Ash Shura Ayat 5, Allah says: “----- Verily, Allah is He, the oft-forgiving, the most merciful.” 

Q    What does a Muslim understand by: “You alone we ask for help”.    [4-J-02] This is the part of Ayat 4 of Sura Al Fatihah. It means that it is the fundamental belief of Muslims that only Allah can help us in the matters of unknown. Only Allah has the authority to bless someone with children or wealth and He gives life, death and sustenance. Therefore we must pray only to Allah. In Sura Al Ahqaf Ayat 6, Allah says: “And who could be further astray than the one who invokes instead   of Allah, those who cannot answer him till the day of Resurrection”.

Q         Why do Muslims avoid associating anything with God? [7-J-96] Q         Why is associating partners with God (shirk) regarded as a great sin? [4-J-13] Allah declares in the Quran that He may forgive any sin except making partners with Him because it challenges His authority. The Quran says:  “It has been revealed to you and to the previous prophets that if you (anyone) commit Shirk, every deed of yours will go waste and you will be at a loss”            (Sura Al Zumr-65) “Indeed whosoever commits Shirk, Paradise will be forbidden for him and his destination is Hell and the cruel will find no help”. (Sura Al Maida-72) Making partners in any attributes of Allah is also Shirk. A Muslim may ask help (from unknown) only from Allah. Sura Al Fatihah teaches us: “You alone we worship and only Your aid we seek”.

Q         Outline the Muslim teaching about the belief in the oneness of God (Tawhid). [10-J-13] Q         What do Muslims mean when they say: “There is no god but God” [9-J-96]       To believe that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad (saw) is His Apostle is an integral part of Muslim faith. A true Muslim submits his life only to Allah. He follows the way of God and avoids everything forbidden by God. He believes in Allah and all of His attributes. These attributes are very well presented in Ayat ul Kursi and Sura Al Ikhlaas. Ayatul Kursi gives the following attributes of Allah: He is alive, eternal and self-subsisting, active, Lord of everything, accepts interceding, has the knowledge of past and the future, giver of knowledge and the possessor of all powers. Sura Al Ikhlaas says that Allah is One and Unique, Absolute, having no children or parents and no one is like Him.

ARTICLES OF FAITH

Q         Explain the importance of this event (Miraj) to the Prophet (sw) himself.                                   [4-J-11] Q         How did this journey help the Prophet (sw) in his mission? [4-N-13-2058/11] The journey of Miraj was important for the prophet (sw) in many ways. He had the deepest believe in his prophethood but this journey provided him a physical proof of his claims. He saw paradise and hell and met Allah, and now he could invite people with complete confidance that he was true. The journey took place when Islam was at the peak of persecution and Mohammad (sw) was facing disappointing events. Khadija (ra) and Abu Talib had died, mission to Taif had failed and there was no progress of Islam in Makkah. In this situation, Allah gave him confidence and gave him the message that the most powerful Allah is behind him and he should not be disappointed and afraid. The journey showed him that Allah had not left him andn He was with him. Mohammad (sw) also

Q         Give an account of the events of the Prophet’s night journey and ascension [‘Isra wa-mi’raj]. [10-J-11] [10-N-13-2058/11] ‘Glory to Him who took His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred   mosque to the Farthest mosque -------    [Sura Al Isra:1] The event of Miraj took place in CE 621. It was the time when the Prophet’s wife Khadija (ra) and uncle, Abu Talib had died, visit to Taif had failed and the persecution of Makkans was on peak. One night the Prophet (sw) was awoken by Jabrail (as), and from Makkah (Masjid al Haram), he was taken to Jerusalem (Masjid Al Aqsa) on a white horse-like winged creature (Burraq) who could run extremely fast. There he met the prophets who came before him. He also led the prayer of these prophets. This is a clear indication that Mohammad (sw) is the leader of all prophets and he is also the last prophet of Allah. This event is called ‘Isra’. From Jerusalem, he was taken to heavens. In the heavens, he met Adam (as), Idr

Q         Write brief accounts of the following two incidents in the life of the Prophet (SAW). (i)        his attempt to preach to the people of al Taif.            (ii)       his conquest of Makkah.                                       [5+5-J-05] Q         Describe the events of the Prophet’s visit to Taif.      [10-Nov 14-2058/11]                                                             Preaching in Taif 621AD was the time when the uncle of the Priophet (sw), Abu Talib and his wife Khadija (ra) had passed away. He had lost his support in Makkah because the new chief of Banu Hashim was Abu Lahab who was deadly against Islam. The persecution against Muslims became so intense that the Prophet (saw) decided to go to the town of Taif, seventy five miles from Makkah. His purpose was to convince the people of Taif. If they accepted Islam, the Prophet (saw) could move along with his companions. His slave Zaid Bin Harith was with him. The people of Taif who used to wo

Q   Why did the people of Makkah pursue these Muslims?  [4-J-09] The main purpose of this chase was to catch Muslims and bring them back to Makkah. For this purpose, they tried to convince Nagus. They instigated him that the Prophet was against the beliefs of Christians. Once the Muslims had been in their control, they could have killed them or punish them severely. Makkans chased them because they were afraid that the reality and the truth of Islam should not reach a foreign land which could give Muslims a lot of strength. They were right because in near future, Nagus accepted Islam and died as a good Muslim. Along with him, the population also converted to Islam. By this action, they could show their power to the Prophet (saw) in order to divert him fom his mission and covert the Muslims to paganism again. It was not easy for an ordinary man to be steadfast in his mission in a situation like Makkah but it was Allah who gave him strength. Allah also gave strength to Musl

Q         What was the importance of making this migration at that time? [4-J-12] Q         What was the significance of this migration for the early Muslim community?                                     [4-N-13-2058/11] The migration to Abbysinia was the first political move of the Prophet (sw). The migration shows that the Prophet (sw) assessed Najashi very correctly. It also shows that he was directly under the guidance of Allah who probably gave the Prophet the message that Muslims would be safe in Abbyssinia. This migration saved Muslims from persecution             . They lived peacefully and established their business there. They were also free to pray and practice Islam without any danger.  Besides that, the message of Islam went abroad. The good characters of Muslim community impressed local population and later the entire population became Muslim. Najashi himself became Muslim and his funeral prayer was performed by the Prophet (sw). The migration gave Muslims

Q         Write an account of the first migration (Hijra) of the Muslims to Abbyssinia.                                       [10-J-09] Q         Describe the main events relating to the first migration ( hijrah ) of Muslims to Abyssinia.                 [10-J-12] Q         Write an account of the migration of the early Muslims to Abyssinia. [10-N-13-2058/11] The migration to Abbysinia took place in 615, five years after the first Revelation. After three years of the first Revelation, open preaching of Islam started and the persection of Muslims also started which increased day by day. In the first stage, the persecution was only verbal but gradually it converted to physical persecution. Since the majority of Muslims were poor people of Makkah and the slaves of cruel masters, the physical perdecution came to a point of inhuman cruel treatment. The tretment with Bilal (ra), Suhaib Rumi, Summaiyah and with many others was getting intolerable. In this situation, some Musli