Cambridge O Level Islamiyat 2058 Syllabus

Islamiyat 2058 syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Islamiyat 2058 in Cambridge O Level, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   The Quran

   3 topics

   • Major Themes of the Quran
   • Selected Passages and Their Teachings
   • History of the Compilation of the Quran
2. 2

   The Life of the Prophet Muhammad

   3 topics

   • Life in Makkah
   • Migration and Life in Madinah
   • The Prophet as Leader and Exemplar
3. 3

   The First Islamic Community

   2 topics

   • The Rightly Guided Caliphs
   • Expansion and Administration of the Early State
4. 4

   The Hadith and Sunnah

   3 topics

   • Importance and Authority of Hadith
   • Collection and Classification of Hadith
   • Selected Hadiths and Their Application
5. 5

   Articles of Faith and Pillars of Islam

   2 topics

   • The Six Articles of Faith
   • The Five Pillars of Islam

Islamiyat 2058 flashcards for Cambridge O Level

24 of 66 cards from the Islamiyat 2058 deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. What are the four major themes of the Quran as outlined in the Islamiyat 2058 syllabus?

   God (Allah and His relationship with creation); the universe and the place of humanity within it; Messengers and revelation; and life after death (the Hereafter / Day of Judgement).

2. What does the concept of Tawhid (the Oneness of God) mean in the Quran?

   It means God is One, unique, without partner or equal; He is the sole Creator and Sustainer, all-powerful and self-sufficient, and worship is due to Him alone. Associating partners with God (shirk) is the gravest sin.

3. According to the Quran, what is the relationship between God and the universe?

   God is the sole Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe; everything in creation is a sign (ayah) pointing to Him, is dependent on Him, and is maintained by His will and power.

4. What does the Quran teach about the purpose of humankind's creation?

   Humans are created to worship and obey God, to act as His khalifah (vicegerent/trustee) on earth, and they will be held accountable on the Day of Judgement for how they lived.

5. What is meant by 'risalah' (prophethood) as a theme of the Quran?

   Risalah is God's guidance of humanity through chosen Messengers and revealed scriptures; the Quran teaches a chain of prophets from Adam to Muhammad, all calling people to worship the One God.

6. What does the Quran teach about life after death (Akhirah)?

   There will be resurrection, a Day of Judgement when deeds are weighed, and reward in Paradise or punishment in Hell; belief in the Hereafter motivates righteous conduct in this life.

7. What is the central teaching of Surah Al-Fatiha?

   It praises God as Lord of the Worlds, the Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgement; it declares worship of and reliance on God alone, and asks for guidance on the straight path.

8. What is the key message of Surah Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112)?

   It declares the absolute Oneness and uniqueness of God: He is One (Ahad), Eternal and Self-Sufficient (As-Samad), He neither begets nor is begotten, and nothing is comparable to Him.

9. What does the 'Light Verse' (Ayat an-Nur, Surah 24:35) describe?

   It describes God as the Light of the heavens and the earth, using the image of a lamp in a niche shining like a brilliant star, symbolising God's guidance illuminating the believer's heart.

10. What teaching is contained in Surah Al-Baqarah verse 255 (Ayat al-Kursi)?

    It affirms God's eternal life and self-subsistence (Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyum), His complete knowledge, His sustaining of the heavens and earth without fatigue, and His supreme greatness.

11. What does the passage on God's relationship with His creatures (Surah 6:101-103) emphasise?

    It emphasises that God is the originator of the heavens and earth, that no vision can grasp Him while He grasps all vision, and that He is subtle and all-aware (Al-Latif, Al-Khabir).

12. What moral teaching is drawn from the 'mercy' passages of the Quran about God's attributes?

    That God is Ar-Rahman (the Compassionate) and Ar-Rahim (the Merciful); His mercy encompasses all things, He forgives those who repent, and believers should reflect mercy in their own conduct.

13. During whose caliphate was the Quran first collected into a single written volume, and why?

    During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632-634 CE), prompted by the death of many huffaz (memorisers) at the Battle of Yamama, which raised fears the Quran could be lost.

14. Who suggested the first collection of the Quran to Abu Bakr, and who carried it out?

    Umar ibn al-Khattab suggested the collection to Abu Bakr; Zayd ibn Thabit was appointed to carry out the task of compiling it.

15. What standards did Zayd ibn Thabit apply when collecting the Quran under Abu Bakr?

    He accepted material only when it was both written down and confirmed by oral memorisation, requiring two reliable witnesses for each portion to ensure accuracy.

16. After Abu Bakr's collection, where was the original single copy (mushaf) of the Quran kept?

    It was kept with Abu Bakr, then passed to Umar, and after Umar's death it was kept by his daughter Hafsa, a widow of the Prophet.

17. Why did Uthman order a standardised edition of the Quran to be prepared?

    Differences in recitation had appeared among Muslims in the expanding empire (e.g. noticed by Hudhayfah on the Armenia/Azerbaijan campaign), risking disputes, so Uthman standardised the text to preserve unity.

18. Who led the committee that produced the standardised Uthmanic Quran, and what was done with variant copies?

    Zayd ibn Thabit led the committee (assisted by others such as Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa'id ibn al-As, Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith); official copies were sent to major centres and all other variant copies were ordered to be burned.

19. In which dialect was the standardised Uthmanic Quran written, and why?

    It was written in the dialect of the Quraysh, because the Quran had been revealed in their language and this ensured a single authoritative recitation.

20. What was the situation of Makkah and the Kaaba before the Prophet's mission?

    Makkah was a major trading and pilgrimage centre run by the Quraysh; the Kaaba, built by Ibrahim and Ismail for the worship of One God, had become filled with idols and a centre of polytism.

21. At what age and in what manner did the Prophet Muhammad receive his first revelation?

    At around age 40, in the Cave of Hira on Mount Nur, when the angel Jibril (Gabriel) brought the first verses of Surah Al-Alaq beginning 'Iqra' (Read!).

22. Who were the first people to accept Islam in Makkah?

    Khadija (his wife) was the first; followed by Ali ibn Abi Talib (first young man), Abu Bakr (first free adult man), and Zayd ibn Harithah (first freed slave).

23. What forms did the Quraysh persecution of early Muslims in Makkah take?

    Mockery, social and economic boycott, torture of weaker converts and slaves (e.g. Bilal, the family of Yasir), and attempts to bargain with or pressure the Prophet to stop preaching.

24. What was the first Hijra (migration) of the early Muslims, before the migration to Madinah?

    A group of persecuted Muslims migrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where the Christian king (the Negus/Najashi) gave them protection and refused to hand them back to the Quraysh.

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