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GCSE · Islam

RS.IB3 Angels

AQA 8062 · Calculators not allowed · about 55 minutes

Total Marks

Name: _______________________________ Date: ____ / ____ / ______

Answer ALL questions. Show all your working.

This question checks key vocabulary used in Muslim teaching about angels.

(a)State what is meant by Malaikah.(1)

(b)Give the name of the angel believed to have brought revelation, including the Qur'an, to the prophets.(1)

(c)Give the name of the angel believed to sound the trumpet on the Day of Judgement.(1)

(d)Give the name (or title) of the Angel of Death in Islam.(1)

(e)Give the names of the two angels believed to question a person in the grave.(1)

(Total for Question 1 is 5 marks)

Give three beliefs Muslims hold about the nature of angels.

(Total for Question 2 is 3 marks)

Explain two roles of angels in Islam. Refer to the Qur'an in your answer.

(Total for Question 3 is 4 marks)

Explain two contrasting Muslim beliefs about how far angels have free will compared with humans. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority in your answer.

(Total for Question 4 is 5 marks)

This question is about angels in Islam. It is the AQA-style 24-mark, five-part question: parts (a) to (d) are worth 12 marks; part (e) is the 12-mark evaluation.

(a)State what angels are believed to be made of.(1)

(b)Give two features of the role of Munkar and Nakir.(2)

(c)Explain two ways the Qur'an describes angels recording a person's deeds. Refer to the Qur'an in your answer.(4)

(d)Explain two contrasting Muslim views about how the questioning by Munkar and Nakir in the grave should be understood. Refer to a source of wisdom and authority in your answer.(5)

(e)Evaluate this statement: 'Belief in angels is essential to being a Muslim.' In your answer you should: refer to Muslim teaching, refer to different points of view, reach a justified conclusion.(12)

(Total for Question 5 is 24 marks)

Explain two ways belief in angels might influence the daily life of a Muslim believer today.

(Total for Question 6 is 4 marks)

Give three named angels found in Islamic teaching.

(Total for Question 7 is 3 marks)

Mark scheme · RS.IB3 Angels

Question 1

(a) B1 angels, spiritual beings created by Allah to serve and worship him, oe
(a) Answer: Angels (Malaikah): spiritual beings created by Allah to serve and worship him.
(b) B1 Jibril (Gabriel), oe
(b) Answer: Jibril (Gabriel).
(c) B1 Israfil, oe
(c) Answer: Israfil.
(d) B1 Malak al-Mawt (also known as Izra'il), oe
(d) Answer: Malak al-Mawt (the Angel of Death), also known as Izra'il.
(e) B1 Munkar and Nakir, oe
(e) Answer: Munkar and Nakir.

Question 2

B1 angels are created from light (nur), oe
B1 angels are sinless and always obedient to Allah, oe
B1 angels have no free will, unlike humans and jinn, oe
Answer: Any three: created from light; sinless and always obedient; no free will.

Question 3

B1 point 1: Jibril's role is to bring revelation from Allah to his prophets, oe
B1 development: Qur'an 2:97 teaches that it was Jibril who 'brought the Qur'an down upon your heart by permission of Allah', oe
B1 point 2: some angels are believed to be responsible for bringing provision, such as rain, to creation, oe
B1 development: this role is traditionally associated with the angel Mika'il, alongside his general role in sustaining the natural world, oe
Answer: E.g. Jibril bringing revelation (Qur'an 2:97); Mika'il's traditional role in provision, such as rain.

Question 4

B1 belief 1: Muslims believe angels have no free will and always obey Allah completely, unlike humans who can choose to disobey, oe
B1 development: Qur'an 66:6 describes angels as those who 'do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded', oe
B1 belief 2: this complete obedience is understood to make angels different in kind from humans, who are given genuine free will, oe
B1 development: because humans (and jinn) can genuinely choose to obey or disobey, they are held responsible for their actions on the Day of Judgement in a way angels, who have no choice, are not, oe
B1 reference to a source of wisdom and authority made accurately, oe
Answer: Contrast: angels' complete, unchosen obedience (Qur'an 66:6) vs humans' genuine free will and moral responsibility.

Question 5

(a) B1 light (nur), oe
(a) Answer: Light (nur).
(b) B1 they question a person in the grave about their faith and deeds, oe
(b) B1 the answers given are believed to affect the person's experience during Barzakh (the period between death and the Day of Judgement), oe
(b) Answer: They question the dead in the grave, and the answers affect a person's experience of Barzakh.
(c) B1 point 1: Muslims believe angels are appointed to record every deed a person carries out in their life, oe
(c) B1 development: Qur'an 82:10-12 teaches that 'over you are keepers, noble and recording; they know whatever you do', oe
(c) B1 point 2: this belief means a person's full record of good and bad deeds will be available on the Day of Judgement, oe
(c) B1 development: Muslims believe this record will be presented to them, forming the basis on which they are judged, oe
(c) Answer: E.g. angels record every deed (Qur'an 82:10-12); this record is presented at the Day of Judgement.
(d) B1 belief 1: some Muslims understand the questioning by Munkar and Nakir literally, as a real physical event experienced by the body and soul in the grave, oe
(d) B1 development: this view is supported by hadith describing the questioning in detail, treated by many Muslims as reliable reports from the Prophet Muhammad, oe
(d) B1 belief 2: other Muslims understand this teaching more symbolically, as representing a spiritual reality about accountability that goes beyond straightforward physical description, oe
(d) B1 development: on this view, the exact nature of Barzakh is seen as part of the unseen (al-ghayb), which the Qur'an teaches is known fully only to Allah, oe
(d) B1 reference to a source of wisdom and authority made accurately, oe
(d) Answer: Contrast: literal physical understanding of the grave-questioning vs a more symbolic understanding of an unseen (al-ghayb) reality.
(e) L4 (10-12): A well-argued, balanced answer that considers more than one point of view in a developed way, using accurate and detailed references to Muslim teaching and/or the Qur'an to support each point, and reaches a clear, justified conclusion.
(e) L3 (7-9): A clear and reasoned answer that considers more than one point of view, supported by relevant references to Muslim teaching and/or the Qur'an, though the justification of the conclusion may be less developed.
(e) L2 (4-6): A reasoned answer that considers at least one point of view, with some relevant supporting evidence, but with limited or no consideration of an alternative view.
(e) L1 (1-3): One or more relevant points are made, but with little or no supporting evidence and no reasoned conclusion.
(e) L0 (0): No relevant content.
(e) Indicative content:
- Agree: belief in angels is one of the Sunni Six Beliefs, based directly on the Hadith of Jibril, showing it is treated as a core article of faith (Iman).
- Agree: the Qur'an repeatedly links belief in angels with belief in Allah, his books and his messengers (e.g. Qur'an 2:285), suggesting the beliefs are meant to be held together rather than picked apart.
- Agree: without belief in angels, key teachings such as the revelation of the Qur'an through Jibril, or the recording of deeds, would be difficult to explain, showing angels are woven throughout Muslim belief and practice.
- Disagree: Tawhid, belief in the Oneness of Allah, is usually considered the single most essential belief in Islam, since it is the foundation from which all other beliefs, including belief in angels, follow.
- Disagree: some might argue that the Five Pillars, which believers actually practise day to day, matter more to being recognisably Muslim in daily life than belief in unseen beings such as angels.
- Disagree: because angels belong to the unseen (al-ghayb), some might argue that practical submission to Allah through worship and good deeds is what is truly essential, with belief in angels supporting rather than being central to this.
- A balanced answer might conclude that belief in angels is a genuine and necessary part of the Six Beliefs, so it can fairly be called essential, while recognising that Tawhid remains the underlying foundation of which belief in angels forms one part.

Question 6

B1 point 1: awareness of recording angels might encourage a Muslim to behave well even when no other person is watching, oe
B1 development: e.g. being honest in private as well as in public, knowing deeds are being recorded, oe
B1 point 2: belief in the Angel of Death and Munkar and Nakir might bring comfort and encourage preparation for death, oe
B1 development: e.g. trying to live a good life and seek forgiveness regularly, in readiness for the questioning in the grave, oe
Answer: E.g. behaving well due to belief in recording angels; living well/seeking forgiveness in preparation for death.

Question 7

B1 Jibril, oe
B1 Mika'il, oe
B1 Israfil / Malak al-Mawt (Izra'il) / Munkar / Nakir, any not already credited, oe
Answer: Any three: Jibril; Mika'il; Israfil; Malak al-Mawt (Izra'il); Munkar; Nakir.

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