S16 E12: The One About GCSE RE Islam beliefs Prophethood and Imamate

This episode is sponsored by Reimagining Education https://reimaginingeducation.uk/

Hope you all had a lovely half term!

This episode is going to cover Prophethood, focussing on Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham) and Muhammad, plus the Imamate - an often weak area in the exam.

4 markers

Explain two ways in which belief in holy books influences Muslims.

One influence is to follow the teachings of the Quran because the Quran teaches about tawhid.

This is the final book of Allah 

Another influence is to learn about previous prophets because books before the Quran may have lessons from other prophets Muslims can learn from.

For example the gospels of Jesus, called Injil

Explain two ways in which the belief in the gospel influences a Muslim today.

The first one I could say is that it helps a Muslim learn from the life of Jesus which is in the gospel.

This is because the gospel may have lessons from prophet which we can learn from.

Another influence you should believe in Tawheed, that's my third mark.

This is because many Muslims would believe that believe about the Trinity was added to the gospel so they would reject this.

6 markers

Explain two Muslim teachings about holy books. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer

One belief is that it is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.

It is the belief that Allah revealed books to different prophets before the Quran.

Another believe that the Quran is the most important source of authority for Muslims.

It is seen as the final book that Allah revealed which has never been changed.

The Quran says ‘this is THE book of which there is no doubt’

This quote shows the Qur’an as THE most important reveletaion because there are no mistakes in it

Explain two Muslim teachings about the Torah. Refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer

One belief is that the Torah was revealed to Prophet Musa.

It contained the messages that Allah wanted to give to the Jewish people.

The Quran says we sent down the Torah in which was guidance and light.

This shows the Torah was used at the time to receive guidance by Prophet Musa's followers 

Another belief is that the Torah is no longer the words of Allah.

Muslims believe that some of the words and teachings were changed by humans

Transcript

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This episode of the Army Podcast is sponsored by Reimagining Education, an organization dedicated to making learning inspiring, relevant, and future focused. Just like this podcast, they're passionate about exploring life's big questions and helping both students and teachers thrive. Find out more at reimaginingeducation.uk. A huge thank you to Reimagining Education for supporting the podcast.

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Welcome to the RE Podcast, the first dedicated RE podcast for students and teachers. My name is Louisa Jane Smith, and this is the R.E.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Podcast, the podcast for those of you who think RE is boring, which it is, and I'll prove it to you. In this series, I am taking you through GCSE RE, focusing on AQA, Islam and Christianity. We are looking at key content and key exam skills you need to be successful in teaching GCSERE or sitting an exam in it. So if you are a teacher of GCSERE or a student of GCSERE, I hope this is helpful to you. As a teacher, you might be new to teaching GCSERE or new to this spec. You might be returning after a break or you might just need a bit of a refresh or reinvigoration. Or maybe you are a teacher from a different subject and want to feel more confident. As a student, you might use it to consolidate what you have learnt in lessons, or prepare for some exams, or maybe you've moved schools or had some absence and want to catch up with what you have missed. Maybe you're a parent and want to support your child in their revision. Whatever your reason for listening, I hope this is helpful for you. I've already done a series on Christian beliefs as well as Christian practices. Now we are moving on to Islam beliefs. If you have listened to my general introduction to paper one, you know that you will have to do an entire question on Christian beliefs, including a multiple choice question, a short one mark answer, a four-mark question, a six-mark question, and a twelve-mark question. Then you will have to do an entire one on Christian practices, and then you will have to do an entire one of these questions on Islam beliefs. Last episode we focused on the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam, the five roots of a Suladin in Shia Islam and the nature of Allah for the Islam belief section of the GCSE. This episode is going to focus on Risallah, so prophethood, including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim, and Muhammad. And we're also going to have a look at the imamate in Shia Islam and its role and significance. So I'm going to go through the concept of prophethood first. I'm going to go through it in general and then focus specifically on three prophets, Adam, Ibrahim, and Muhammad, who are key in understanding prophethood in Islam for your exam. So prophethood in general is known as Risalah. Risallah in Arabic means a message because prophets give a message. And a really good way to remember this word is riz Allah. So they've got a bit of riz and they're from Allah. And it is one of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and it is in the five roots of Usuladin in Shia Islam. So it's one of those beliefs that is in both the six articles of faith and the five roots. So it's a really good one to know. So let's start with two key beliefs about prophethood or risallah. The first key belief is that all prophets are chosen by Allah. Most Muslims believe that there are a hundred and twenty four thousand prophets that Allah picked, and all of them were given the same message, which is the message of Tawheed that we looked at in the last episode. So to worship one God, to obey one God, and not to worship any idols or false gods, and not to give God any partners. A second belief about prophethood is that they are seen as role models. So all the prophets have stories that Muslims can learn from, and they can learn from their lives, as they lived as Muslims, and therefore they are seen as role models on how to behave according to how Allah wants. If a Muslim believes in prophets or prophethood, how might that influence them? Firstly, a Muslim would logically obey Allah's message because prophets tell humans how to obey Allah and how Allah wants them to live. And secondly, a Muslim would follow their example because they are role models. They are Muslims, so therefore Muslims are going to logically follow their example. And the Quran talks about Allah saying, We sent down no messenger before you, but inspired him in saying, There's no God except me, so worship me. So this Quran verse is quite clear where it's emphasizing that Allah is talking about him sending prophets with the same message which is to worship him and not to worship any other gods. But remember the stories you know about each prophet are in the Quran. So you can use these stories as sources of authority as long as you say they are from the Qur'an. Now a specific prophet you have to know is Adam, and he's seen as one of the prophets of Allah. He's seen as the father of humankind, and he's the one who originally built the Kaaba. So two key beliefs about Prophet Adam. Prophet Adam is seen as the first prophet of Allah. So he was the first prophet of Allah who married Eve. And it is where all humans came from, from their lineage. Secondly, the Quran describes where Adam was created and that he asked every single living being at the time to bow to Adam to show how great Adam was as the first human being. But as the famous story goes, Shaitan or Satan tempted him, and Adam gave in to that temptation and was punished by Allah. Even though Muslims still believe that Adam is important because he was the first prophet and because all creation at the time was ordered to bow to him. If a Muslim believes in Adam, how can that influence them? Well, firstly it's going to influence them to obey Allah because Adam was told to obey Allah and therefore Muslims learn that from him. And secondly, to be aware of Satan or Shaitan, because Adam had an incident where Shaitan tempted him to eat from the tree. So a Muslim would learn from this that if they hear any temptations from Satan or Shaitan, they should not obey that. So what does the Quran say about Adam? Well, the Quran describes creation. It says, When I have made him and breathe into my spirit and fall down to him bowing, so that emphasizes the incident where God breathed his spirit into Adam, showing he is special, and then ordering all of creation to bow towards him. The second prophet you have to know is Ibrahim or Abraham. He is seen as one of the prophets of Allah who rebuilt the Kaaba. So Adam was the one who built the original Kaaba. Over time it was destroyed, and Ibrahim, along with his son, rebuilt it in the structure that we might see today. So two key beliefs about Prophet Ibrahim. Firstly, he showed his faith in Allah by his willingness to sacrifice his son, which is what is celebrated in Edel Ata every single year by Muslims. Secondly, he worshipped Allah in a community that worshipped idols. So he lived in a population where most people worshipped idols, but he maintained his Tawhid, his belief in the oneness of God within that community, despite the fact that most of them did not believe in that thing. If a Muslim believes in Prophet Ibrahim, how could that influence them? Well, firstly, it will influence Muslims to have total faith in God, because Ibrahim had total faith in God when he was willing to sacrifice his son, but also when he was persecuted by people for worshipping one God. Secondly, a Muslim will be influenced to, of course, perform the Hajj pilgrimage, because the Hajj pilgrimage is in honour of Prophet Ibrahim, as he rebuilt the Kaaba, and many of the rituals honour parts of his life. The Quran speaks about Ibrahim being an excellent example for you. So again it tells Muslims that Ibrahim is seen as a role model for Muslims. The final prophet that you have to know about for your exam is Muhammad. Muhammad is seen as the last and greatest of the prophets. He received the Quran, and his Sunnah or his actions and the hadiths which are his sayings are also important sources of authority. Two key beliefs about Prophet Muhammad then, although there are many. But firstly, he was given the Qur'an on the night of power in the cave. And number two, like Prophet Ibrahim, he worshipped Allah in Mecca. At the time in Mecca, most people used to worship Allah using idols and statues. So Muhammad is special in that way. So let's have a look at two influences of the Prophet Muhammad. Well, firstly, a Muslim would be influenced to follow his Sunnah, so his teachings or actions. And secondly, a Muslim will be inspired or influenced to read the Qur'an, because that's the book that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad himself. And the Quran describes Prophet Muhammad as a great moral character, which is why they follow his Sunnah, because they see him as a perfect role model. In fact, he's seen as the embodiment of the Quran. So how could Prophethood come up in your exams? Well, in a four mark question, you could be asked about any of the prophets individually or about prophethood generally. So about how prophethood or each individual prophet influences a Muslim today. So what does it make a Muslim do, think, feel, act, or believe? So have a go at creating a question for yourself, giving yourself about three or four minutes to see if you can answer them in the correct way. We're going to have a look at one question, which is explain two ways in which a belief in prophethood or risallah influences Muslims. So here's the answer. One influence is to follow their example because prophets are role models. That's my first mark. Muslims would learn how to act in situations in their lives. That's my second mark. I've developed my simple explanation. Another influence is to obey Allah's messages, which were told through the prophets. That's my third mark, my second simple explanation. For example, they would worship Allah. So I've developed my point, and that becomes four out of four marks. I've got two clear influences about believing in prophethood, which are then developed. But what if the question specifically asks about the Prophet Adam and how he might influence a Muslim today? So again, I've got to think about the aspects of Adam's life and what a Muslim could be influenced to do, think, feel, believe from that story. So let's have a go at answering that question. So explain two ways in which a belief in the Prophet Adam might influence Muslims today. One influence is to follow Allah's commands because Adam was punished for disobeying them. That's my first mark. To develop that, I'm going to give a bit more detail. Adam ate from the tree from which he was told not to. That's my second mark because I've developed it with more detail. Another influence is to beware of Shaitan because Shaitan deceived Adam. That's my third mark. So a Muslim would ensure they are not tempted by him. And that's my fourth mark, I've developed it further. So you can see I've got two clear influences from the life of Prophet Adam that could influence a Muslim to behave in a certain way. You could have a go at a similar question on Ibrahim or Adam. So explain two ways in which a belief in Prophet Ibrahim could influence Muslims today, or explain two ways in which a belief in Prophet Muhammad might influence Muslims today. Right, let's move on to our six-mark questions. There are different variations of questions you could be asked about this topic. For example, you could be asked about Prophethood in general. So explain two beliefs about prophethood in Islam. You must refer to a source of authority or another source of belief and teaching in your answer. Or you could be specifically asked about one of the prophets, so Prophet Adam or Prophet Ibrahim or Prophet Muhammad. So again, it's not just enough to know about prophethood in general. You have to know about these three prophets specifically because they are named on the specification. So do give this episode a pause and have a go at a six-mark question on this topic, giving yourself about five minutes to write your answer. We're going to look at a model answer for this question. Explain two beliefs about prophethood in Islam. You must refer to a source of authority or another source of belief and teaching in your answer. So here I need to talk about prophethood in general. Okay, so one belief is that they are role models. They are picked by Allah and are special human beings whose lives can be used as examples for Muslims to follow. So that paragraph is worth two marks because I've got a developed point, but there's no source of authority or application there. So I'm going to have to include that in my second paragraph. Another belief is that they were all given the same message. All prophets were told to tell their community about Tukhid and to worship only one God. The Quran says, and we sent down no messenger before you and inspired him in saying, There's no God except me to worship. So this shows that all prophets were given a similar mission. And that paragraph is worth four marks. I've got a developed point at the start, I've got a source about prophethood, and then my application is telling me about the source, explaining what that means, that the prophets were given the same mission of spreading the message of Tawheed. And that becomes a perfect six out of six marks. But what if you get a six-mark question about a specific prophet here? So explain two beliefs about Prophet Ibrahim. You must refer to a source of authority or another belief and teaching in your answer. So one belief was that he was willing to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim showed true faith in Allah and is remembered on Ilra Adha. So that is two marks for a developed point. Now I can give a source and an application. The Quran says there has been an excellent example in Ibrahim. This shows Muslims can learn about Ibrahim's dedication to Allah. So that paragraph is worth four marks. One developed point worth two marks, a source of authority that's relevant to the question, the third mark, and I've applied that source to my point fourth mark. Another belief is that he rebuilt the Kaaba. Ibrahim restored the Kaaba that was originally built by Adam, which is visited during the Hajj pilgrimage. And that paragraph is worth two marks because it's a developed point, totaling a perfect six out of six marks. Next, I'm going to go through the concept of Imamate, which is on the specification as part of the Islam beliefs section. We're going to go through what Imamate is in Shia Islam, covering its role and significance. Now, guys, this is a often misunderstood or mistaught or misremembered topic. And it often throws students in the exam because I can't quite remember what it is. So it's really important if you are a teacher that you teach this thoroughly and distinctly. And it's really important if you are a student that you revise this thoroughly and are really clear what it is. So what is Imamate? Imamate to begin with is the Shia belief that Allah chose specific leaders after Prophet Muhammad. And it is one of the five roots of a saladeen in Shia Islam. But this is one of those beliefs that is unique to Shia Islam. Sunni Muslims do not believe in this concept at all. They reject it because they do not believe that after Prophet Muhammad, Allah picks any kind of leader. Whereas Shia Muslims do believe that Allah picked a different kind of leader to lead the Muslims after Prophet Muhammad's death. I remember this word by thinking I'm a mate, because the Shia Shahada says that Ali, the first Shia Imam, is a friend of Allah. So Imamate is I'm a mate. So two key beliefs about the Imamate. Number one, Shia Muslims believe that they are all chosen by Allah to protect and teach Prophet Muhammad's message. Most Shia Muslims believe in twelve Imams, the first being Ali, Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, and the further Imams come from his bloodline, and they are the 12 Imams that Shia Muslims must follow. Secondly, Shia Muslims believe that the Imams are role models who are sinless and the most knowledgeable people of their time. So the role of the Imam is to protect Prophet Muhammad's message, to teach people his message accurately, because they're the most knowledgeable people and they're also sinless. So they're seen as the perfect role models. So for Shia Muslims, if they believe in the Imamate, they could be influenced, first of all, to follow the teachings of the Imams, because the Imams understand Islam best and understand Prophet Muhammad best. And secondly, they would believe that the Imams are the best role models after Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad, as all Muslims believe, is the ultimate example of how to be a good human being and a good Muslim. And for Shia Muslims, the Imams are also excellent role models to follow after the Prophet Muhammad because they are knowledgeable and know Prophet Muhammad best because they come from his bloodline. And the Quran says, I will choose an authority on this earth. Shia Muslims understand from this verse that it shows that only Allah has the authority to choose a leader on this earth, not human beings. When you have studied the Shahada in Islam practices, you can also use the Shia Shahada as a quote too, as it says, Ali is a friend of Allah. Remember, I'm a mate, Imamate. So here's how Imamate could be asked about in a four-mark question. Explain two ways in which a belief in Imamate influences Muslims today. So again, you've got to think if a Shia Muslim believes in this, what are they going to do, think, act, feel, or believe? Because it asks you for an influence. So maybe give yourself four minutes or so to answer this question yourself, and you should be able to answer it with two developed influences. But how would I answer this question? So I would say one influence is to follow their example because imams are role models. So one influence is to follow their example because imams are role models. This is my first simple influence. Shia Muslims would learn how to act in situations from their lives. This becomes my second mark for developing that influence. Another influence is to obey Allah's messages because the Imams teach Shia Muslims. That's my third mark. For example, they will teach how to live like Prophet Muhammad did. That's my fourth mark. Two influences that are accurate and they are all relevant to the question and they are both developed. And notice that I've only specified Shia Muslims because Sunni Muslims do not believe in the Imamate. So we have to make sure we specify this is for Shia Muslims only, not for all Muslims. Now when it comes to Imamate and a six-mark question, this is kind of the only real thing you could be asked about in a six-mark question, which is explain two Muslim teachings about Imamate, refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer. You potentially could get the wording explain why a belief in imam is important, but essentially you would answer exactly the same. So again, you have to make sure that you know two teachings about imamate with a quote and a source and an application as well. And always remember this is specifically a Shia teaching, so you have to ensure that you make that quite clear. Maybe give this episode a pause and give yourself about five minutes to complete this question. But let's look at a model answer for this question. Explain two Muslim teachings about imamate, refer to sacred writings or another source of belief and teaching in your answer. One belief is that it is one of the five roots of a Suladin in Shia Islam. This is the belief that Allah chose leaders after Prophet Muhammad to protect his message. The Quran says, I will choose an authority. On this earth. This shows the Shia belief that only Allah picks leaders. So that's the first paragraph, and I get four marks for it. Two marks for the developed point at the start, I've got the source there for the third mark, and an application for the fourth mark. Another belief is that Imams do not sin. Shia Muslims believe that Imams are perfect role models to follow after Prophet Muhammad. So that's then worth two marks for a developed point. So notice in both paragraphs I'm making sure it's specific to Shia Islam. I can't say Muslims believe Imams are perfect because that's wrong. Only Shia Muslims believe in the Imamate, not all Muslims. So you have to make that really, really clear. Hopefully, this gives you a little bit of a grounding in Risalah prophethood, including the role and importance of Adam, Ibrahim, and Muhammad, as well as the Imamate in Shia Islam, its role and significance, as well as how to answer four and six mark questions. If you've got a 12 mark, it will be something like Muhammad is the most important prophet in Islam or something like that. Take some time now, set a timer, have a go at some of the other four and six mark questions, take your answers into school for your teachers to mark. Next episode, we're going to look at angels, their nature and role, including Jibril and Mikhail, and the holy book. So the revelation and authority of the Quran, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels, and the scrolls of Ibrahim and their authority. This podcast is supported by reimagininged at reimaginingeducation.uk. My name is Louisa Jane Smith and this is the Re Podcast. The podcast for those of you who think Re is boring, which it is. I just proved it to you. But thank you so much for letting me help you get an even better grade in GCSC RE.