The Syllabus for EdExcel Religious Studies Units D
and K.
Section
1 - Believing in Allah
The
nature of Allah as shown in Surahs 1; 2:115-117; 6:95-99; 30:20-25;
40:61-68; and 112 (ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim, al-Aziz).
How religious upbringing in a Muslim
family and community can lead to or support belief in Allah.
The nature of religious experience for Muslims,
as seen in the Night of Power, salah,
zakah, sawm and hajj, and how these may lead to or support belief in Allah.
How the appearance of the world (design and
causation) may lead to or support belief in Allah. How the search for meaning
and purpose in life may lead to or support belief in Allah.
How non-religious explanations of the world and
of miracles may lead to or support agnosticism
or atheism. How unanswered prayers
and the existence of evil and suffering (including moral evil and natural evil)
may lead people to question or reject belief in Allah.
How Islam responds to the problem of evil
and suffering.
Section
2 - Matters of Life and Death.
Islamic teaching about resurrection, judgement (akhirah), life after death (al-Jannah, Jahannam). Why Muslims
believe in life after death. Reasons for belief in life after death not
specific to any religion, incouding near-death experiences and the paranormal.
Why some people do not believe in life after
death.
Islamic teaching on the sanctity of life (Surah 3:145, life as created by Allah and sacred
to Allah).
The nature of abortion, including current British legislation and non-religious
arguments concerning abortion. Muslim attitudes to abortion and the reasons for
these attitudes. Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to contraception, and the reasons for
them.
The nature of euthanasia (assisted suicide, voluntary and non-voluntary
euthanasia), including current British legislation and arguments concerning
euthanasia. Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to euthanasia and the
reasons for them.
Changing attitudes in the United Kingdom to cohabitation and marriage. The purposes of marriage in Islam, including the main
features of a Muslim marriage ceremony, (mahr,
contract, khutbah), Islamic teaching on relationships between the sexes and
sex outside marriage (pre-marital sex,
promiscuity and adultery).
Changing attitudes to divorce in the UK.
Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to divorce (khul and talaq) including the reasons for the attitudes.
The changing nature of family life (nuclear family, extended family,
re-constituted family) in the UK. Islamic teachings on family life and its
importance. How mosques help with the upbringing of children and keeping the
family together.
Changing attitudes to homosexuality in the UK. Muslim attitudes to homosexuality,
including the reasons for the attitudes.
Section
4 - Social Harmony.
The growth of equal rights for women in the UK.
Differences among Muslims in their attitudes to the roles and status of men and
women and the reasons for them (equality
and sexism).
The nature of the UK as a multi-ethnic society, including prejudice, racism and discrimination. Islamic teachings which help
to promote racial harmony, including reference to Surah 30:22, Surah 49:13, the
Last Sermon of the Prophet Muhammad. How the hajj and ummah show
racial harmony.
The quality, variety and richness of life in the
UK as a multi-faith society,
including considerations of religious
freedom and religious pluralism. Differences among Muslims in their
attitudes to other religions and the reasons for them.
Section 5 - Options
(Students are required to study ONE of these
Options. Options 1 and 2 will be assessed either by external assessment (ie. in
the exam) or by internal assessment (ie. in advance by a teacher at school.
Option 3 is ONLY available as an internal assessment option.
Option
1 – Religion and the Media
The variety and range of specifically religious
programmes (religious broadcasts) on BBC 1, BBC 2, Channel 3 and Channel 4.
Channel 5, cable and satellite religious broadcasts may be included but are not
required. Students should be aware of the general contents of such programmes
and must study ONE programme in depth to assess the reasons for its
popularity/unpopularity.
(Get a copy
of Radio or TV Times and look through for religious programmes. You need to be
able to mention at least half a dozen, and what type they are – worship,
discussion, documentary, teaching etc. You then need to choose only ONE and
study it more deeply – good points and bad points. Don’t forget the special
Muslim programmes during Ramadan – you could get an old TV Times from the
Library, probably).
How either TV soap operas or the national daily
press deal with religious and moral issues of importance to Muslims, including
an in-depth study of ONE religious or moral issue that has been dealt with.
(You
could choose something like abortion, homosexuality, AIDS, euthanasia, racism,
extremism, child abuse, pornography, slavery, women’s issues, care of the aged,
exploitation, etc etc as portrayed in the papers, or programmes such as
Eastenders, Coronation Street, Brookside, etc)
A specifically religious theme or themes of
importance to Muslims as explored in ONE film or TV drama. Students will be
required to understand why the theme is important, how it was dealt with,
whether the treatment was fair to religious people, and how the treatment of
the theme could have been improved.
(I’d choose
a second topic from the above list).
Through this coverage, students will be expected
to deal with evaluation questions which require them to look at the way in
which religion is dealt with in the media in a general way.
Option
2 - Religion and wealth and
poverty
The teachings of Islam on: possession, uses and
dangers of wealth: stewardship; almsgiving and charity, compassion and justice,
the relationship between rich and poor;
The relief of poverty and suffering in the UK by
Muslims. Detailed knowledge of the work
of ONE Muslim person, community or organization will be required.
(Such as:
Islamic Relief, Muslim Hands, Muslim Women’s Helpline, Muslim Aid, Qurbani
projects in the UK, Muslims joining in
with such causes as Oxfam, Save the Children etc; you could also give details
about any individual you happen to know about who has worked for the community
for the relief of some sort of suffering – could be a local hero. Good examples
also found in such organisations as Islamic Society of Britain, UKIM, Muslim
Parliament of Britain etc etc).
An outline of the need for world development in
response to the causes, extent and effects of poverty in the world; the work of
Muslim agencies in world development and the relief of poverty. Detailed
knowledge of ONE Muslim agency and the reasons for its work will be required.
(See
list above, and there are many others. You may know of good examples from your
home country if you have come from outside the UK – use of zakah money, etc).
Through this coverage, students will be expected
to be able to deal with evaluation questions which require them to look at the
relationship of religion to wealth and poverty in a general way.
Option
3 - Religion as expressed in art,
music or literature
This option is only available as a coursework
option, for course 1481.
Unit K - The
Syllabus
Unit K:
Islam.
This Unit is divided into four sections, examined by written paper only, and a fifth section, examined either by written paper or by coursework to be handed in and marked in advance.
The words in bold
are key words for this unit. Students should be aware of their meanings and be
able to use them in their answers. A glossary of the key words is available
from Edexcel.
In order to meet the evaluation assessment
objective, candidates need to be aware of non-religious, as well as religious,
responses to religious and moral issues.
Candidates will be required to demonstrate
knowledge and understanding, and the ability to evaluate alternative points of
view, in respect of:
Tawhid: Muslim beliefs about Allah, in particular unity,
power, creativity, mercy and compassion. The sin of shirk and why it is the major sin of Islam. The ummah of Islam, its
relationship to tawhid and its significance for Islam.
Islamic teaching on the nature of humans as Khalifah as shown in the Qur’anic
teachings about Adam. Islamic
teaching on al-Qadar and human
freedom.
Risalah: how Allah communicates with humans. Islamic
teaching on angels, prophets (with special reference to the Qur’anic accounts
of Ibrahim and Isa) and holy books (tawrat,
zabur, injil). The belief in Muhammad as the seal of the Prophets.
Akhirah : Muslim beliefs about life after death,
including resurrection and judgement.
Section
2 - Community and Tradition
Muslim beliefs about the Qur’an, its nature and
authority, its revelation to Muhammad, its organisation (surah, ayat, bismillah). How Muslims show their respect for the
Qur’an.
The life of the Prophet Muhammad with particular
reference to: his call to prophethood,
his work in Makkah, the hijrah and its importance for Islam,
his work in Madinah.
Sunni and Shi’ah Islam. The reasons for their
split, their different attitudes to authority, leadership and tradition and the
reasons for them (hadith, imam, 10
Muharram).
Section
3 - Worship and Celebration
The shahadah
as a summary of Islamic belief.
The practice and significance of salah, including wudu, qiblah, niyyah, rakah, ju’mah prayers, the benefits of salah.
The practice and significance of zakah including payments and
distribution methods and relationship to the ummah.
The practice and significance of sawm as the month of fasting in Ramadan; the reasons for and the
benefits of fasting; the celebration of Id-ul-Fitr.
The practice and significance of hajj; including the relationship to the
prophets, tawaf, sa’y, Mina, Arafat, and Id-ul-Adha.
Section 4 - Living the Muslim Life
The Shari’ah
as the basis of Muslim life including its sources, halal and haram.
Islamic teaching on greater and lesser jihad and the effect of this teaching
on a Muslim’s life.
Islamic living; dress laws (including hijab), food, alcohol, gambling, riba (including its implications when
living in a capitalist society).
Birth rituals (including the aqiqa ceremony), death rituals (including janazah prayers and burial).
Option 1- The Mosque
The architectural and other main features of a
mosque and the reasons for them.
The role and function of an imam in Sunni
mosques.
(An Imam is
not just a village haffiz – they have to deal with immigration and visa problems,
marriage problems, all sorts of counselling and reconciliation, visiting of
hospitals and prisons, education and Islamiat, organise social programmes,
dawah programmes etc etc).
The role and function of the mosque in the local
Muslim community.
The reasons for differences in places of worship
(eg big
purpose-built mosques, house-mosques, Islamic centres based on shops, size of
local Islamic population etc) and forms of worship among Muslims. (Think about the huge difference in attitude
and type between Sunni and Shi’ite, Salafi, Sufi, Deobandi, Barelvi,
Ahl-i-hadith, Wahhabi, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Isma’ili, Naqshbandi, Chishti,
Ahmadiyyah, etc etc).
Option
2 - Sufism
The aim and methods of Sufism.
The role of Sufism in Islam, including knowledge
of Ghazzali, Rumi, dervishes, female mystics and arguments within Islam about
Sufism.
Sufism in the UK.
(You need to be able to:
·
define Sufism and explain the
possible origins of the word.
·
How did Sufism start? Why did it
become separate from mainstream Islam? How did tariqahs start? Explain the idea
of a ‘path’.
·
What is a shaykh? Why are they
vital to Sufism? Why might they be considered dangerous by non-Sufis?
·
Be able to list 5 aims of what
Sufis are trying to achieve. What sort of things do Sufis do to increase their
spiritual awareness?
·
Be able to talk about dhikr,
ascetic practices, faqirs, music, dance, poetry, dervishes.
·
Know a brief outline of the lives
and importance of Ghazzali, Rumi, and Rabia al-Adawiyyah. Be able to list the
names of a few other famous Sufis, and know why they are significant.
·
Be able to talk about female
Sufism and the role of religious servitude and devotion.
·
Give an outline of the Sufi
pantheism doctrine. How does it differ from usual Islamic doctrine?
·
What did Ghazzali disapprove of in
Sufism, and what did he approve?
·
Be able to explain the importance
of Sufism in the UK (and in general) and its importance in drawing converts.
·
Be able to explain the major
criticisms of Sufism.