Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat: Paper 2 — Revision Notes (0493)

Condensed recall notes for Paper 2 of Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat (0493), 2026–2027 series. Paper 2 is a 1.5-hour exam of five questions, of which candidates must answer Question 1, Question 2 and two others, covering the Hadiths of the Prophet, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the Articles of Faith and Pillars of Islam. Use this alongside the full study guide on Paper 2 for explanation and context — these notes are for quick recall in the final stretch of revision.

1. Major teachings in the Hadiths of the Prophet

• Two groups of passages are set for close study: those relating to individual conduct and those relating to life in the community.
• Study each set passage for what it teaches Muslims to believe and how it teaches them to act.
• Passages are studied with reference to both the original Arabic text and the English translation — in the exam, passages appear in both.
• The exact passages set for study are listed in the syllabus’s Appendix 2 and are reviewed periodically, so always revise from the current series’ appendix, not an old list.
• Exam question: four passages are set, of which candidates choose any two to write on. [8 marks]

2. The history and importance of the Hadiths

• The history of compilation: how the Hadiths were gathered after the Prophet’s death, and the earliest collections.
• The main musnad and musannaf collections and their compilers, and what each compiler did.
• The method of testing a Hadith’s reliability: examining the chain of transmitters (isnad) and the wording (matn).
• The six major Sunni collections and the four major Shi’a collections.
• The major themes running through the Hadiths, both in the set passages and in similar material.
• How Hadiths are used in legal thinking, alongside the Qur’an, consensus (ijma’) and analogy (qiyas).
• Their overall significance in Muslim thought and action.
• Exam question: usually set in more than one part, essay-length answer required. [14 marks]

3. The period of rule of the Rightly Guided Caliphs and their importance as leaders

• The main events of the rule of each of the four Caliphs.
• Their policies for maintaining and expanding the Islamic state.
• Their individual approaches to leadership of the community.
• Their main achievements and the main difficulties each encountered.
• Their significance as models of leadership, including as examples for government today.
• Their importance as examples for how Muslim communities relate to other states.
• Note the boundary with Paper 1: the Caliphs’ lives and roles during the Prophet’s lifetime are examined under Paper 1 — this topic in Paper 2 covers only their period of rule after the Prophet’s death.
• Exam question: one or two questions, usually multi-part, essay-length answers. [14 marks]

4. The Articles of Faith and the Pillars of Islam

The Six Articles of Faith:

• God — what Muslims believe about Him
• Angels — their nature and duties
• Books — their contents and purpose
• Prophets — their character and function
• God’s predestination and decree — its meaning and significance
• Resurrection and the Last Day — the main events and significance

Jihad — its range of meanings: physical, mental and spiritual.

The Five Pillars of Islam:

• Shahada (declaration of faith) — the significance of what it contains

• Salat (prayer) — preparation, performance, importance, congregational Friday and festival prayers, prayer times, place of prayer, private and delayed prayer

• Zakat (alms-giving) — how it is performed and its significance in the community

• Sawm (fasting) — how it is observed, its significance, and who is exempted

• Hajj (pilgrimage) — the main observances and their significance

• Candidates should understand the significance of each belief and observance, not just describe it.

• Exam question: one or two questions, usually multi-part, essay-length answers. [14 marks]

Quick recall checklist

• Can I name the two categories of Hadith passages set for study, and explain the individual-conduct vs community-life split?
• Do I know the difference between isnad and matn, and why each matters for testing a Hadith’s reliability?
• Can I list the four Rightly Guided Caliphs in order and give one achievement and one difficulty for each?
• Can I state all Six Articles of Faith and all Five Pillars of Islam without prompting?
• Do I understand jihad’s three meanings (physical, mental, spiritual), not just the most commonly assumed one?

How to approach it

Because Question 1 and Question 2 are compulsory every year, prioritise rock-solid recall of the set Hadith passages (topic 1) and the history of the Hadiths (topic 2) before spending equal time on your two optional questions from topics 3 and 4. For the Caliphs (topic 3), build a simple four-row table — one row per Caliph, columns for main events, achievements, difficulties — since exam questions often ask candidates to compare or evaluate rather than just narrate. For the Articles of Faith and Pillars (topic 4), practise explaining significance in one sentence for each item on the list; “describe” answers that stop short of significance are the most common way marks are lost on this topic.

Related resources

• Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat: Paper 2 (0493)
• IGCSE Islamiyat: Paper 1 (Cambridge 0493)

Official syllabus

Cambridge Assessment International Education, Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493 syllabus for examination in 2026 and 2027: https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/697174-2026-2027-syllabus.pdf (verified 2026-09-02).