WAEC Islamic Religious Studies (IRS) 2019 Theory Past Questions

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(a) THE KHULAFA'UR-RASHIDUN The Khulafa'ur-Rashidun (Rightly Guided Caliphs) are: 1. Abu Bakr as-Siddiq 2. Umar b. al-Khattab 3. Uthman b. Affan 4. Ali b. Abi Talib (b) BIOGRAPHY OF ABU BAKR AS-SIDDIQ • He was Abdullahi b. Uthman (Abu Quhafah). His father was Abu Quhafah while his mother was Salma. • He is popularly known by his nickname 'Abu Bakr'; he was given this nickname because he accepted Islam early. • He was born around the year 573 AC to the tribe of Quraysh. • He was the closest friend to Muhammad (S.A.W.), both before and after his prophethood. • He was the first male adult to accept Islam. • He had three male and three female children. • One of his daughters, Aisha, was married to his best friend, Muhammad (S.A.W.). • He was the first caliph after the demise of his best friend, the Prophet. His caliphate lasted for two years and about seven months. • He died in the year 634 AC (13 AH) at the age of 62 years.

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POSITION OF ISLAM ON FORTUNE-TELLING Fortune-telling is the act of forecasting the future, i.e. telling people that a good or a bad thing will happen. Those who claim knowledge of the unseen are divided into two: 1. Those who have no real knowledge or secrets but rely on telling their customers about general incidences that happen to most people. 2. Those who have made contact with jinns. Both practices are discouraged with evidence from the Qur'an, Hadith and Ijma'. Evidence from the Qur'an: Allah, the Majestic, said: 'And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him' (Qur'an 6:59). Evidence from Hadith: It is reported by Imam Muslim, from the hadith of Hafsah, that she said the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: 'Whoever approaches a fortune-teller and asks him something and believes what he says, his salah will not be accepted for forty (40) days.' Finally, the whole Muslim nation has agreed by consensus (Ijma') that fortune-telling is prohibited in Islam, as is clear from the verse and hadith cited above.

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(a) SURATUN-NAS (Q.114) — TRANSLITERATION Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem 1. Qul a'usu birobbin naas 2. Malikin naas 3. Illahin naas 4. Min sharril waswaasil khannas 5. Alledhi yuwaswisu fii sudurin naas 6. Minal jinnati wan naas (b) TRANSLATION In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful: 1. Say: 'I seek refuge with (Allah), the Lord of mankind, 2. The King of mankind, 3. The Ilah (God) of mankind, 4. From the evil of the whisperer (the devil who whispers evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his whispering) after one remembers Allah, 5. Who whispers in the breasts of mankind, 6. Of jinn and men.' (c) COMMENT ON THE LESSONS OF THE SURAH 1. The Surah teaches us that refuge should be sought from Allah. 2. There are jinns which whisper evil into the minds of mankind. 3. It also affirms that Allah is the King, God and Lord of mankind. In summary, if one seeks refuge from the whispering of the evil whisperer, one will be set free from that whispering.

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(a) TAKBIRATUL 'IHRAM This can be defined as the takbir (declaration 'Allahu Akbar') used to start salat. It is the first takbir that a person who wants to pray must say, and it prohibits everything that was previously permissible before the start of the prayer. (b) SIGNIFICANCE OF TAKBIRATUL 'IHRAM IN SALAT 1. It is used to formally enter the state of salat. 2. It prohibits (renders impermissible) everything that was previously allowed to the worshipper (e.g. speaking, eating) once salat has begun. 3. Without it, the salat is invalid.

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(a) HADITH 13 OF AN-NAWAWI — TRANSLITERATION 'An Anas b. Malik (radiyallahu 'anhu) qaala: qaala Rasulullah (sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam): "La yu'minu ahadukum hatta yuhibbu li-akhiihi ma yuhibbu li-nafsihi."' (b) TRANSLATION Reported by Anas (may Allah be pleased with him): the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: 'None of you has believed until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.' (c) COMMENT ON THE HADITH 1. It is part of faith (iman) to love for fellow Muslims what one loves for oneself. 2. Islam discourages doing to others what one would not accept being done to oneself.

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CONDITIONS OF WOMEN IN PRE-ISLAMIC ARABIA: • They buried their female children alive (female infanticide). • They detested having female children because they believed girls would not be useful for war. • Women did not inherit anything from their family's estate. • Women were often shared with other 'property' if they were still young, upon a husband's death. • A man could divorce his wife and take her back repeatedly, more than three times, without proper limit. • Women generally had no say in the choice of their own marriage partners, and marriages were arranged without their consent. (Note: the original source material listed five such conditions; a sixth — lack of consent in marriage — is included here for completeness, as the question asks for six.)