Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Religious Studies B · Paper 2, Question 2 · Islam Harlington School · SumHclass grade

Crime and Punishment

Eight topics, one summit. The divergent views set side by side, the key ideas connected, and the (d) evaluated the Level-4 way, everything for the top of the mark scheme, in one place.

The
big
question

What makes punishment JUST, and can justice and forgiveness live together?

01

The divergent views explorer

Every (d) in this unit turns on the divergent views: set side by side, exactly as the examiner wants. Pick a topic, then tap a position to see what it claims. The Grade 9 move and the 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

Grade 9 is not more content: it is 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 them against each other: where they agree, and the exact point they part. That comparison IS the analysis.

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.

Textbook-first accuracy

A correctly named source beats a vague paraphrase. One learned line from each source, placed precisely, is worth more than a paragraph of drift.

02

Eight topics, one summit

Each panel is a topic’s key idea: the connective explanation that links the key words into one argument. Learn the chain, not the list.

Topic 1 · I09

Justice

What do Muslims mean by justice, and why does it matter so much to God?
OUTCOMEJustice = rewarding the good and punishing the bad, so wrongdoing never simply goes unanswered
MECHANISMA second meaning: “the administration of the law”, without working courts, a fair law still fails
LAWSLaws organise behaviour and protect the weak from the strong, or life turns “nasty, brutish and short”
EQUALITYApplied without favour: even Fatima’s hand would be severed (Sahih Bukhari), so no one is above the law
Topic 2 · I10

Crime

What causes crime, and what do Muslims do to remove those causes?
POVERTY → ZAKAHBan interest, pay zakah, ban gambling, back Muslim Aid, remove the desperation that drives people to steal
UPBRINGING → MADRASAHChildren are a gift from God; parents teach right and wrong, so a weak upbringing is less likely to end in crime
DRUGS → HARAMIntoxicants are Satan’s tool to keep people from prayer, so banning them cuts one major driver of crime
SELF-ESTEEM → KHALIFAHKnowing you are God’s steward should stop low self-esteem, one of the causes linked to reoffending
Topic 3 · I11

Good & evil

How do Muslims explain evil and suffering, and does belief in God make it easier or harder?
CREATIONGod created Adam and ordered the angels to bow down to him, making humans God’s honoured creation
REFUSALThe angel Iblis refused out of pride and was sent out of paradise for his disobedience
PERMISSIONHe was ALLOWED to tempt humans to choose wrong until Judgement Day, so temptation is part of God’s design
TESTSo life is a period of testing, free will means a real temptation to resist, not a scripted performance
Topic 4 · I12

Punishment

How should criminals be punished, and why is punishment a form of justice?
REVENGEPersonal, unlimited payback: knocking out every tooth of the offender for the one tooth they took
LIMIT“Eye for eye” caps it: only one tooth for one tooth, no more. The Jewish reading makes it a ceiling, not a licence
PROPORTIONThe punishment must fit the crime: a death sentence for shoplifting would NOT be justice, however severe
IMPERSONALSurah 42:40: recompense “equal thereto in degree”, the law pays back on the victim’s behalf, not the victim
Topic 5 · I13

Aims of punishment

What are the four aims of punishment, and which do Muslims support?
LOOK BACKRetribution asks “what did they DO?”: pay in proportion for the past crime, whatever happens next
LOOK FORWARDProtection, deterrence and reformation ask “how do we stop the NEXT crime?”. The future is the target
ONE PENALTY, BOTHA hadd amputation pays for theft AND deters others AND keeps the offender in society to be reformed
MUSLIM BALANCEIslam holds retribution, deterrence AND reform together, strict penalty is a last resort, not the default
Topic 6 · I14

Forgiveness

Why do Muslims forgive, and are religious people really more likely to forgive and reintegrate criminals?
GOD IS MERCYEvery surah but one opens “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”, mercy frames the Qur’an
JUDGEMENT DAYEvery Muslim will stand before God and beg his mercy, deserved or not, on the Last Day
THE LOGICYou cannot ask for mercy you refuse to give, so forgiving now is the price of being forgiven later
BROTHERHOODBelievers are “a single brotherhood” (Surah 49:10): hence restorative, not merely punitive, justice
Topic 7 · I15

Treatment

How should criminals be treated, and where do believers draw the line at torture?
UNIVERSALHuman rights (UDHR, 1948) apply to EVERYONE, accusation, arrest or even guilt cannot strip them away
BEFORE GUILTLiberty, a public trial and legal representation come before guilt is proven, protecting the innocent too
THE INNOCENTTreat the guilty humanely and the wrongly accused stay safe too, the Humanist point about shared protection
TORTURE BAN“Allah will torture those who torture people”; feed even the captive (Surah 76:8), mercy extends to enemies
Topic 8 · I16

Death penalty

Do Muslims support capital punishment, and can taking a life ever be justice?
THE CLAIMRetentionists say fear of death stops murder, the main argument FOR keeping the death penalty
THE TEST2014: the USA (35 executions) had 4.5 murders per 100,000; the UK (0 executions) had only 1.0
THE TWISTExecuted terrorists become MARTYRS to their followers, the penalty can INCREASE the violence it targets
NO UNDOA wrong verdict can never be reversed once carried out, which is why some Muslims read Surah 6:151 against it
03

Your resources

Everything for the unit, in one place: each topic’s lesson, booklet pages and podcast episode, plus the unit-wide booklet editions, schemes of work and the guide.

Teacher setup: links aren't set yet. Open this file, find the LINKS list near the bottom, and paste each SharePoint 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.

Bell work first · retrieve before you re-read

Five recall questions from memory, self-scored /5. Then the come-back tracker: the same five at +1 week and +1 month.

Listen along to the episode

One six-minute podcast per topic. Capture the six mind-map branches as it plays. The episode does the exposition so you can do the thinking.

Work the booklet pages

Four pages per topic: the key idea, two source quotes, the divergent views side by side, and the full (d). The Key Idea edition adds the 7-minute discussion.

Write the (d) the Level-4 way

Chain · steelman · weigh both (strength AND limit) · justify. Check yourself against the Level 3-vs-Level 4 models on lessons 3 and 6.

The marks map · (a) (b) (c) · 12 marks
(a) 3 marks · outline three. Three crisp sentences, no development needed.
(b) 4 marks · explain two. Each point + one development.
(c) 5 marks · explain two WITH a named source: one learned line, placed exactly.
The (d) · 12 marks · half the question
What it is · a full evaluation: agree and disagree developed, the non-religious voice engaged where the question invites it.
The grade 9 gap · Level 3 asserts its judgement; Level 4 chains, weighs both sides, and justifies a conclusion that survives the strongest counter.
05

Watch: the whole unit in one go

A full review of Crime and Punishment: 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 ·