AS-LEVEL
RELIGIOUS STUDIES
RSS11 Islam 2: The Life of the Prophet
Report on the Examination
2060
June 2016
Version: 1.0
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REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – AS-LEVEL RELIGIOUS STUDIES – 2060 – JUNE 2016
RSS11
Islam 2: The Life of the Prophet
General Comments
Every question on this paper was attempted, with questions one and two being the most popular.
Very few students attempted question four. There were many relevant and accurate answers but
also some which did not complete all aspects of their selected question and others which did not
apply to the specific question set.
Question 1 Jahiliyyah
Part 01 required all three of Bedouin polytheism, Jews and Hanifs to be explained but many
answers included little about the Jews and some did not mention them at all. A number included
information about the Christian background, this could be credited but was not required by the
question. Some showed a detailed understanding of Bedouin polytheism, but others offered little
more than the key idea that they worshipped many gods and idols. Some were aware of the idea
that the gods beside Allah were regarded as intermediaries between the one God and humanity
rather than as being equal to Allah in importance and power. Some included detailed information
about social customs in pre-Islamic Arabia, but this was not required.
The most common argument seen in part 02 was that he rejected polytheism and idol worship but
retained pilgrimage. Some better answers focused on the understanding of Allah in polytheism with
some arguing that the core belief in the creator God was retained but the idea that intermediaries
were needed to approach him was rejected. Not all answers supported their arguments with
evidence, such as references to Qur’an or Hadith, and some focused on social practices rather
than polytheism.
Question 2 Makkah 610-622 CE
There were some very focused answers to part 03 that offered and explained a range of reasons
including the apparent threat to the trade and power of Makkah and rejection of the traditions of the
ancestors. Alongside these were answers that simply narrated the main events of the Makkan
period with little reference to the question, or answers that focused on how he was opposed rather
than why; such responses could not score highly.
For many, part 04 became an answer to the question ‘Was Muhammad forced out of Makkah?’
and while such answers often included relevant material, they were generally incomplete. Some
simply narrated the events that led up to the Hijrah without using the information to argue the case
either way. Some better answers used the evidence that Muhammad carried out the purpose God
had given him, survived and escaped, and that Islam continued to develop, as the basis for the
view that he was not defeated, others argued that in the end it was not his enemies that were
responsible for his apparent ‘defeat’ but the death of his wife and uncle.
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REPORT ON THE EXAMINATION – AS-LEVEL RELIGIOUS STUDIES – 2060 – JUNE 2016
Question 3 Madinah 622-632 CE
Some students tried to answer part 05 with a simple narration of the events during the Madinan
period, but this did not offer an explanation. Some of the better answers picked out key events and
explained how they contributed to the development of the Umma. Many, picked out the
development of the brotherhood between the Muhajirun and the Ansar as establishing a
community that was to be based on ties of faith not blood. This was then developed by showing
that Muslims were prepared to fight against blood relatives when necessary because they had a
new loyalty. In such answers, the contribution of military success to the development of the Umma
was often explained, but weaker responses merely dated and summarised key battles and their
results.
There were some very effective answers to part 06 which understood that the Hijrah may be seen
as the birth of the Umma, as signified in its use as the start of the Muslim calendar, but that the
start of Islam could be placed earlier. Most argued that it started with Muhammad’s revelation,
others argued that it started at creation and was simply completed by Muhammad. There was
some good use of evidence and argument to support the different views.
Question 4 The death of the Prophet, the emergence of the Caliphate and of the Sunni /
Shi’a divide
There were relatively few answers to part 07 and many weak responses. Most centred their
answer on the election of Abu Bakr, and the key idea that ‘Sunnis supported Abu Bakr and Shi’a
thought Ali should have been the Caliph’. This approach was totally acceptable, but answers
needed to consider the status of the Caliph as well as the election of the Caliph. Some answers
were purely narrative and summarised what happened after Muhammad’s death. The best
answers understood why from a Shi’a perspective there should have been no election and the
elected Caliph was therefore an illegitimate ruler. The status of the Caliph as chosen by fallible
human beings (Sunni) or chosen by God (Shi’a) and its implications for the authority of the person
holding the position could have been better developed in many answers.
The statement for discussion in part 08 assumed that it was necessary for Muslims to know about
Muhammad’s teaching but challenged the view that it was important to know about his life. Some
only argued that it was important to know about his teaching and made little or no reference to his
life. Others argued that it is impossible to separate his life and his teaching because of the status of
the Sunna, others challenged the accuracy of the supposed account of his life and sayings and
argued that only the Qur’an was needed.
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