Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Religious Studies B · Paper 2 · Area of study 1 · Muslim Beliefs Harlington School · RE Course · Support Grade
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Unit 02

Muslim Beliefs

Eight topics, one unit. The divergent Muslim views set side by side, the key ideas connected, and every source of wisdom and authority the examiner expects, all in one place.

The
big
question

What do Muslims believe about Allah, revelation and judgement, and where exactly do Sunni and Shi'a Muslims part?

01

The divergent views explorer

Every (d) in this unit turns on the divergent Muslim views: usually Sunni and Shi'a, set side by side exactly as the examiner wants. Pick a topic, then tap a position to see what it claims. The top-marks move and a 7-minute discussion question travel with each topic.

Tap a circle, or use Tab and Enter, to explore each position.

The thread that ties it together

Top marks are not more content: they are three habits applied to every topic. Spot them and every (d) in this unit opens the same way.

Divergent views, side by side

Never one view at a time. Set Sunni and Shi'a against each other, where they agree, and the exact point they part. That comparison IS the analysis the (d) is marked on.

The (d) regulation

Chain each point (claim → because → this means → therefore), steelman the other side, weigh BOTH arguments, a strength AND a limit, then justify the conclusion.

Source-first accuracy

A named surah beats a vague paraphrase, 'the Seal of the Prophets' (Qur'an 33:40), not 'it says somewhere in the Qur'an'. One learned line, placed precisely, is what turns a (c) from 3 marks into 5.

02

8 topics, one unit

Each panel is a topic's key idea: the connective explanation that links the key words into one argument, with the source of wisdom and authority the (c) question expects. Learn the chain, not the list.

Topic 1 · M01

The six beliefs of Islam

What holds every Muslim belief together?
TAWHID FIRSTEverything begins with the oneness of Allah, one creator, no partners, nothing comparable to him, so worship belongs to him alone.
SO HE REVEALSBecause Allah is unseen, he makes his will known: angels carry the message, prophets deliver it, holy books preserve it for everyone after.
SO YOU ANSWERIf Allah has shown people how to live, every person is accountable, and the Day of Judgement settles Jannah or Jahannam.
AND HE DECREESAl-Qadr closes the chain: nothing happens outside Allah's knowledge and will, so trusting his plan follows directly from his oneness.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 112:1–4 · 'There is no god but Allah'
Topic 2 · M02

The five roots in Shi'a Islam

How does Shi'a belief compare to Sunni belief?
TAWHIDThe first root matches the first Sunni belief exactly: Allah is one, with no partner and nothing in creation comparable to him.
ADALATShi'a Muslims make divine justice a root of religion: Allah is perfectly just, never wrongs anyone, and judges every person fairly.
NUBUWWAH & IMAMAHProphethood ends with Muhammad, but Allah appointed Imams, beginning with Ali, to guide and correctly interpret the revelation after him.
MI'ADThe fifth root is the Day of Resurrection: the dead are raised, deeds are weighed, and Allah's justice is finally seen.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 4:59 · Why Imamah matters to Shi'a Muslims
Topic 3 · M03

The nature of Allah

How can Allah be both close and beyond understanding?
ONE, NO EQUALTawhid means Allah has no partner, no image and no equal; nothing in creation resembles him, so he can never be pictured.
TRANSCENDENTAllah is outside space, time and human understanding, never contained by the universe he made, never fully grasped by any human mind.
YET IMMANENTThe same Qur'an says he is closer than the jugular vein: present in his creation, hearing every prayer, knowing every unspoken thought.
JUST & MERCIFULBecause he knows everything he can judge justly, and because he is Ar-Rahman he forgives, justice and mercy held together, not traded off.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 50:16 · 'Closer than his jugular vein'
Topic 4 · M04

Risalah (prophets)

Why does Islam need prophets at all?
ALLAH IS UNSEENAllah is transcendent, so his guidance has to reach people through someone they can hear, watch, question and follow.
SO HE SENDSMuslims believe prophets were sent to every community, beginning with Adam, Ibrahim, Musa, Dawud and Isa among them, all calling people back to Tawhid.
EACH BRINGS A BOOKSome prophets received a holy book: the Tawrat to Musa, the Zabur to Dawud, the Injil to Isa, and finally the Qur'an to Muhammad.
THE SEALMuhammad is 'the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets' (33:40), so the message is complete and no prophet comes after him.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 33:40 · Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets
Topic 5 · M05

Muslim holy books

Why does the Qur'an hold such unique authority?
FOUR BOOKS NAMEDMuslims believe Allah revealed the Tawrat to Musa, the Zabur to Dawud, the Injil to Isa and the Qur'an to Muhammad.
THE SAME MESSAGEEvery one of them carried the same message of Tawhid, so Muslims respect all of them as genuine revelation from the one God.
BUT ALTEREDMuslims believe the earlier holy books were changed by human hands over time, so they no longer read exactly as Allah first revealed them.
QUR'AN PRESERVEDThe Qur'an alone is held to be perfectly preserved in its original Arabic, Allah promises to guard it (15:9), so it is the final authority.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 15:9 · The Qur'an's preservation
Topic 6 · M06

Malaikah (angels)

What job do angels actually do in Islam?
MADE OF LIGHTAngels are created from light, have no free will and no gender, and never disobey. They exist to carry out Allah's commands.
JIBRIL REVEALSJibril is the angel of revelation, bringing the Qur'an down to Muhammad over twenty-three years and carrying messages to the earlier prophets.
MIKA'IL SUSTAINSMika'il is responsible for provision, rain, sustenance and the rewards of good deeds, showing Allah caring for creation through his servants.
IZRA'IL & RECORDSIzra'il takes each soul at death into Barzakh, and the recording angels write every deed, so the evidence for judgement is already written.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 2:97 · Jibril and the revelation of the Qur'an
Topic 7 · M07

Al-Qadr (fate)

If Allah already knows everything, are humans really free?
ALLAH KNOWS ALLNothing is hidden from Allah: past, present and future are equally known to him, and nothing at all takes him by surprise.
ALREADY WRITTENAl-Qadr means Allah has decreed what occurs and it is recorded on the Preserved Tablet before it happens, so nothing is an accident.
YET YOU CHOOSEMuslims still hold that human choices are genuinely free: knowing in advance what someone will choose is not the same as forcing it.
SO YOU ANSWERBecause the choice really is yours, judgement is fair. Allah's justice depends on human freedom being more than an illusion.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 57:22 · Allah's complete knowledge
Topic 8 · M08

Akhirah (life after death)

How does belief in the afterlife shape life NOW?
NOT THE ENDThis life is a test set by Allah; at death the soul leaves the body and death is a doorway, not a full stop.
BARZAKHThe soul waits in Barzakh, questioned about its faith, until the trumpet sounds and every person who has lived is raised.
THE SCALESOn the Day of Judgement deeds are weighed on the Mizan and each person is handed the record of everything they did.
JANNAH OR JAHANNAMThe scales decide: Jannah, a garden of eternal reward, or Jahannam, the fire, which is why Muslims live now with the end in view.
Source of wisdom & authorityQur'an 101:6–9 · The weighing of deeds
03

Your resources

Everything for the unit, in one place: each topic's lesson deck and workbook pages, plus the unit-wide documents. The file each button points to is named underneath it.

Teacher setup: links aren't set yet. Open this file in a text editor, find the LINKS list near the bottom, and paste each SharePoint or OneDrive share link once. Buttons with no link show as "Link not set".
04

How to revise this unit

Use the resources in this order: the same loop as the lessons, so revision feels like coming home.

Retrieve before you re-read

Five recall questions from memory, spelling the Arabic terms out in full, self-scored /5 before opening any notes. Then the same five at +1 week and +1 month.

Re-walk the lesson deck

One deck per topic, MB_L01 to MB_L08. Cover the definitions, say them aloud, then reveal. The deck is the shortest route back into the topic.

Work the workbook pages

The Lesson Companion has the same task numbers as the board. Redo Task 3 (the key source) and Task 5 (the Sunni/Shi'a debate) from memory.

Write the (d) the Level 4 way

Chain · steelman · weigh both (a strength AND a limit) · justify. Check yourself against the Model Answer Bank before you look at any mark scheme.

The marks map · (a) (b) (c) · 12 marks · AO1
(a) 3 marks · outline three. Three crisp sentences; no development needed.
(b) 4 marks · explain two. Each point plus one development ("this means that…").
(c) 5 marks · explain two and use a source of wisdom and authority, one learned line, placed exactly.
The (d) · 12 marks (+3 SPaG on two of them) · AO2
What it is · a full evaluation: arguments for, arguments against, both developed, with religious teaching used on each side.
Level 3 (7–9) · logical reasoning across different viewpoints, accurate understanding, a partially justified conclusion.
Level 4 (10–12) · critical deconstruction, sustained and thorough accuracy, and a conclusion fully justified against the strongest counter-argument.
SPaG · 3 extra marks are awarded on two (d) questions per paper. Spell the key words correctly and use them accurately.
05

Watch: the whole unit in one go

A full review of Muslim Beliefs: all eight topics as one argument. Best watched before you revise, then again to check recall.

Video not set

Teacher: paste the YouTube link in the VIDEO_URL line near the bottom of this file. The player then appears here automatically.

06

Flashcards · test yourself

Flip a card to check yourself. Switch between key terms (term → meaning) and divergent views (view → what it claims), and filter by topic.

Tap any card to flip ·