Cambridge O Level Islamiyat: Major Teachings in the Hadiths, Subtopic 2.1 (2058)

Major Teachings in the Hadiths of the Prophet is the compulsory first question of Paper 2 in Cambridge O Level Islamiyat 2058. Twenty Hadiths, all recorded by al-Bukhari or Muslim, are set for study under two headings, individual conduct and life in the community. Four appear in the exam in Arabic and English; you choose two and explain what each teaches and how Muslims can act on it. This guide groups the Hadiths by shared themes, so that you understand them as a connected picture of Muslim character.

Syllabus coverage

2058 Paper 2, Topic 1 (syllabus for examination in 2026 and 2027)

• Passages relating to individual conduct and to life in the community
• What each passage teaches Muslims to believe and how to act
• Study with reference to the Arabic as well as the English translation
• Exam: four passages set, two answered, 8 marks in total

Theme 1: What does true faith look like?

Several Hadiths define faith by its effects rather than by words alone. “Religion is sincerity” shows that faith means sincere loyalty to Allah, His Book, His Messenger, Muslim leaders and ordinary people. “None of you believes until he wants for his brother what he wants for himself” makes care for others a condition of complete faith. The Hadith of the man who asks whether performing obligatory prayers, fasting Ramadan and keeping to the lawful and forbidden is enough for paradise, and is told “Yes”, shows that Islam is built on manageable duties done faithfully. “God does not look at your forms and possessions but at your hearts and deeds” places intention and action above appearance and wealth.

Exam use: these Hadiths suit applications about intention in worship, honest friendship and avoiding showing off.

Theme 2: How should a Muslim speak and behave?

“Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good or keep silent” links speech directly to belief in judgement; the same Hadith calls for generosity to neighbours and guests. “Modesty produces nothing but good” praises haya, the sense of shame that keeps a person from wrongdoing. The mustard seed Hadith warns that even a small amount of pride keeps a person from paradise, while a small amount of faith saves from hell. “The world is the believer’s prison” teaches restraint and patience, because the true reward is in the hereafter.

Exam use: applications about avoiding gossip and social-media insults, humility in success and patience in hardship.

Theme 3: What counts as charity and good work?

“Every joint must perform a charity every day” widens charity to include justice between people, helping someone with their mount or luggage, a good word, every step to prayer and removing harm from the road. “No one eats better food than that which he eats from the work of his hand” honours honest labour. “The most excellent of men is the believer who strives in the way of Allah with his person and property” praises those who give time and wealth for good.

Exam use: applications such as volunteering, clearing litter, part-time honest work and donating to charities.

Theme 4: How should the vulnerable be treated?

“One who manages the affairs of the widow and the poor is like one who strives in the way of Allah, or prays at night, or fasts by day” puts care for the needy on the level of devoted worship. “I and the one who brings up an orphan will be in paradise like this”, with two fingers held together, promises closeness to the Prophet (pbuh), himself an orphan. “God will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to others” makes mercy a condition of receiving mercy.

Exam use: orphan sponsorship, visiting the elderly, supporting widows, kindness to animals.

Theme 5: How should the community and its leaders act?

“Whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, then his tongue, then his heart” gives every Muslim responsibility for society, according to ability. “The believers are like a single man” describes the Ummah as one body. The instruction to Abu Musa and Mu’adh ibn Jabal when sent to govern parts of Yemen, “Be gentle and do not be hard, cause rejoicing and do not alienate”, sets the tone for leadership and teaching. “May God show mercy to a man who is kindly when he sells, buys and demands repayment” sets standards for trade.

Exam use: standing up to injustice, helping disaster victims, fair business, gentle teaching.

Theme 6: Knowledge and martyrdom

“He who studies the Qur’an is like the owner of tethered camels” teaches that knowledge of the Qur’an must be constantly maintained. The Hadith on martyrs shows that martyrdom includes not only those killed in Allah’s way but also those who die naturally, or of plague or cholera, while in His way, which widens hope of reward and consoles the bereaved.

How do you write a high-scoring answer?

1. Identify the teaching in one sentence, using a key phrase from the Hadith.
2. Explain it, saying what belief or attitude lies behind it.
3. Apply it with a specific modern example.
4. Support it with a related Qur’an verse or Hadith where possible, such as Qur’an 49.10 on brotherhood or 2.177 on giving to orphans and the needy.

Frequently asked questions

Are the groups “individual conduct” and “life in the community” tested separately? The four passages set may come from either group. Knowing the theme helps your explanation; marks come from meaning and application.

How many Hadiths should I learn? All twenty, since any four may be set.

Can I write about the Hadith’s background? Only briefly, where it helps, as with the Hadith about Abu Musa and Mu’adh being sent to Yemen.

Related pages

• Major Teachings in the Hadiths revision notes
• Paper 2 study guide
• Paper 2 practice questions

Source: Cambridge International, Cambridge O Level Islamiyat 2058 syllabus for examination in 2026 and 2027, Paper 2 Topic 1 and Appendix 2.