OxfordAQA IGCSE Islamiyat: Sources of Authority in Islam — Practice Questions

These are original questions written for Marlbridge, in the style and at the standard of the examination. They are not reproduced past-paper questions — examination boards hold copyright in their own papers. Use these alongside the official past papers available free from your board.

Related: Sources of Authority in Islam study guide, Sources of Authority in Islam revision notes

These questions cover sub-topics 3.2.2.1 to 3.2.2.5 only — the Qur’an, the Hadith and Sunnah, and Ijma and Qiyas as sources of authority. They do not cover 3.2.2.6 to 3.2.2.9 (how Shariah shapes everyday life), which is revised separately.

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Section A

1. Name the four sources of authority in Islam in order, from primary to secondary. [4]

2. State the three distinct stages in the Qur’an’s history as a source of authority. [3]

Section B

3. Explain why the Hadith and Sunnah are needed as a source of authority alongside the Qur’an, giving two points. [6]

4. Explain how the reliability of a Hadith is tested.

(a) Name and explain what Isnad checks. [3] (b) Name and explain what Matn checks. [3] (c) Explain why a Hadith needs to pass both tests, not just one. [2]

5. Name the four categories of Hadith reliability and explain what each means. [8]

6. Explain the meaning and role of Ijma as a source of Shariah, giving an example of the kind of situation in which it would be used. [5]

7. Explain the meaning and role of Qiyas as a source of Shariah, giving an example of the kind of situation in which it would be used. [5]

8. A student writes: “The Qur’an was revealed, and that is the whole story of how it became a source of authority.” Explain why this statement is incomplete, referring to all three stages in the Qur’an’s history. [6]

9. State one specific fact about the significance of Sahih Bukhari and one specific fact about the significance of Sahih Muslim as collections of Hadith. [4]

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Answers

1. Qur’an (the primary, directly revealed source) [1], then Hadith and Sunnah (recording the Prophet’s [pbuh] words and practice, explaining and applying the Qur’an) [1], then Ijma (consensus) and Qiyas (analogy) together as secondary sources, used only where the Qur’an and Hadith give no explicit ruling [1] [1].

2. Revelation — how the Qur’an was received [1]. Preservation — how it was memorised and recorded [1]. Compilation — how it was assembled into a single text [1].

3. Any two, 3 marks each: the Qur’an provides general commands and principles but does not always explain how to put them into practice, so the Hadith and Sunnah supply the practical detail — for example, the Qur’an instructs Muslims to pray and give charity, but the Hadith records the exact method, timing and conditions the Prophet (pbuh) demonstrated [1] [1] [1]. Without the Hadith, many Qur’anic commands would remain open to interpretation, so it functions as the practical explanation of the Qur’an’s guidance, which is why it is described as the second source of Shariah, subordinate to but essential alongside the Qur’an [1] [1] [1].

4. (a) Isnad checks the chain of narrators transmitting the Hadith back to the Prophet (pbuh) [1] — it examines whether each narrator in the chain was trustworthy and had a plausible opportunity to hear from the previous narrator [1] [1]. (b) Matn checks the actual text or content of the Hadith itself [1] — it examines whether the content is consistent with the Qur’an, with established Islamic teaching, and with reason [1] [1]. (c) A Hadith can have a strong chain of narrators but still raise questions about its content, or a plausible-sounding text but an unreliable chain, so both tests are needed together — passing only one does not establish reliability [2].

5. Sahih (sound) — a Hadith with a complete, reliable chain of trustworthy narrators and content free from contradiction [2]. Hasan (good) — reliable but with a chain slightly weaker than Sahih, for example a narrator with a less perfect memory [2]. Daeef (weak) — a chain with a significant weakness, such as a missing link or an unreliable narrator, making the Hadith doubtful [2]. Maudu (fabricated) — a Hadith invented and falsely attributed to the Prophet (pbuh), rejected as a source of authority [2].

6. Ijma means the consensus of qualified scholars on a ruling [1], used specifically in situations where the Qur’an and Hadith are silent or ambiguous and a decision is still needed [2]. Example: scholars reaching agreement on a point of Islamic law not explicitly addressed in the primary texts, such as an administrative or organisational matter facing the early Muslim community [2].

7. Qiyas means reasoning by analogy — applying the ruling of a case already addressed in the Qur’an or Hadith to a new, similar case [1], used where a new situation shares the same underlying reason (illah) as an existing ruling but is not itself named in the primary texts [2]. Example: extending a Qur’anic ruling on one intoxicating substance to a newly available substance that shares the same reason for prohibition [2].

8. The statement is incomplete because revelation is only the first of three stages [1]. Preservation matters because the Qur’an had to be memorised by companions and recorded in writing during the Prophet’s (pbuh) lifetime and shortly after, to protect it from loss or distortion [1] [1]. Compilation matters because these memorised and written portions had to be gathered and arranged into a single, authoritative text, a process completed under the early caliphs [1] [1]. Treating revelation as “the whole story” ignores the human effort involved in preserving and compiling the text into the Qur’an Muslims use today [1].

9. Sahih Bukhari — compiled by Imam Bukhari, who is reported to have applied an exceptionally strict standard of authentication, examining hundreds of thousands of narrations to select only those he judged most reliable [2]. Sahih Muslim — compiled by Imam Muslim, regarded alongside Sahih Bukhari as one of the two most authoritative Hadith collections, distinguished by its systematic arrangement of narrations on each topic [2].

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Where marks are usually lost

• Ranking Ijma and Qiyas as equal in authority to the Qur’an and Hadith, rather than as secondary sources used only where the primary sources are silent.
• Confusing Isnad (the chain of narrators) with Matn (the text itself), or explaining only one when a question asks for both.
• Naming the four Hadith categories without being able to explain what distinguishes one from another.
• Describing the Qur’an’s history as a single event rather than three distinct stages — revelation, preservation and compilation.
• Naming Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim with no further detail about what makes each collection significant.