islam- beliefs, teachings + practises

• The exam takes a familiar structure from 1 mark to 12 mark questions
• Command words


  As important to know as the content, as they indicate what the question is asking
• Need to know the importance and influence of key beliefs and teachings, not just the content
• Key beliefs and teachings to be covered

  • Nature of God
  • Angels
  • Risala (Prophethood)
  • Holy Books
  • Akhirah (Life after death)
• Quran, Surah 2: 'The truly good are those who believe in God and the last day, in the angels, the scripture and the prophets'
• Tawhid

  The oneness of God, the most fundamental belief in Islam
• Attributes of God


  • Omnipotent
  • Just
  • Merciful
• Quran, Surah 112: 'He is God, the One. God, the Eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.'
• Quran, Surah 2: 'God rewards good deeds and knows everything. He is with you wherever you are. He is the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy.'
• Importance of knowing about God

  Allows Muslims to understand Him better, follow His rules, and strengthen their faith and relationship with Him
• Immanence

  God is close to and involved in the world
• Transcendence


  God is outside and above the world, beyond human understanding
• God has a dual relationship with the world - both immanent and transcendent
• Angels

  Spiritual beings created from light, who give messages from God to prophets and watch over humans
• Quran, Surah 35: 'Praise be to God, Creator of the heavens and earth, who made angels with two, three or four pairs of wings.'
• Quran, Surah 2: 'If anyone is an enemy of God, His angels, and His messengers - including Gabriel and Michael - then God is certainly the enemy of such disbelievers.'
• Angel Jibril


  • Delivers messages including the Quran to Muhammad
  • Taught Muhammad how to pray
• Angel Mika'il


  • Rewards good deeds with eternal life
  • Seen as a friend of humanity
  • Brings rain and thunder
• Angels have no free will, as they are continually praising God and fulfilling His tasks
• Importance of angels

  • Act as messengers between God and humanity
  • Complete God's tasks and obey Him
  • Record thoughts and actions for Judgement Day
  • Help Muslims understand how to live moral lives
• Risala

  Communication between God and humanity through prophets
• Angels

  Messengers between God and humans
• Angel Jibril


  • Delivered the message of the Quran from God to Muhammad
  • Will blow the horn to signify the end of the world
• Risala

  Communication, specifically prophet-hood - the communication between God and humanity through prophets
• Prophets

  • 124,000 total
  • 25 named in the Quran
• Prophets with written messages

  Called Rasul, have a particularly important role as their teachings can be read
• Shahada

  The words: "There is no god but God and Muhammad is his messenger"
• Every community has been sent a messenger
• Importance of Prophets

  • Key channel of communication between God and humanity
  • Bring important messages from God
  • Teach religious truths
  • Bring holy books
  • Show how to live according to God's will
  • Confirm the nature of God
  • Source of wisdom and inspiration
• Muhammad

  The final prophet who gave the message of Islam, founded the religion, and ensured it was unchanged
• Muslims follow Muhammad's example, the Sunnah, which contains his sayings, customs and traditions
• Muhammad was illiterate, emphasizing the truth of the Quran's revelation to him
• Muhammad's calling


  1. Quran revealed to him in a cave by Angel Jibril

  2. Preached message in Mecca but was rejected

  3. Escaped to Medina and became political and religious leader

  4. Set up the first Muslim community, the five pillars, and delivered the Quran
• Importance of Muhammad


  • Founder of Islam
  • Inaugurated Islamic practices and rituals
  • Perfect example for Muslims to emulate
  • Showed qualities like determination, patience, courage, humility
  • Rejected immorality
  • Created rules and community that benefited everyone
  • Allowed religious freedoms and rights for women
• Adam

  First prophet and human, exemplar of stewardship as the first khalifa (caretaker of God's creation)
• Ibrahim (Abraham)

  Exemplar of faith, preached monotheism, was willing to sacrifice his son when tested by God
• Festival of Sacrifice remembers Ibrahim's test of faith
• Quran

  114 surahs, means "recitation", revealed to illiterate Muhammad by Angel Jibril
• The Quran is always read in Arabic to preserve God's words in their original form
• The Quran is seen as a direct revelation from God, without error, unchanging and unchangeable