O Level Islamiyat: Paper 1 (Cambridge 2058)

This guide covers Paper 1, one of two compulsory papers for Cambridge O Level Islamiyat 2058, 2026–2027 series. Confirmed independently against 2058’s own syllabus PDF: it shares an identical Paper 1 / Paper 2 four-topic structure with Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493. (A version 2 syllabus for the 2028 series has since been published; this page follows the current 2026-2027 document.)

Where this fits in 2058

Paper 1 covers the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), while Paper 2 (not covered in this guide) covers the Hadiths, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the Articles of Faith and Pillars of Islam. Together the two papers form the whole of 2058 — there is no numbered sub-topic list beyond these four per paper, but the syllabus also prescribes fifteen named passages from the Qur’an in an appendix, from which Question 1’s choices are set, so revision should cover the appendix passages directly rather than relying on the sub-topic list alone.

Syllabus coverage

CAMBRIDGE O LEVEL ISLAMIYAT 2058 — PAPER 1

• 1.1 Major Themes of the Qur’an — the central themes and teachings running through the Qur’an
• 1.2 The History and Importance of the Qur’an — how the Qur’an was revealed and compiled, and its significance
• 1.3 The Life and Importance of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) — the key events of his life and their significance for Muslims
• 1.4 The First Islamic Community — the Prophet’s wives; his descendants, including his children, grandchildren and the line recognised among Shia Muslims as Imams; his leading Companions, including the Ten Blessed Companions, his Scribes and the major figures of his ministry; the Emigrants and the Helpers; and the four Rightly Guided Caliphs during his lifetime

The paper’s structure

Paper 1 runs for 1½ hours and is worth 50 marks, made up of five set questions. Candidates must answer Question 1 and Question 2, which are compulsory, plus two further questions chosen from Questions 3 to 5. Question 1 (worth 8 marks) sets three short passages on the major themes of the Qur’an and offers a choice of any two to write on; Question 2, on the history and importance of the Qur’an, is essay-length and worth 14 marks. Questions 3 to 5 are also essay-length, worth 14 marks each, and are set on the other two sub-topics: the syllabus says that one or two questions are set on the life and importance of the Prophet (pbuh) and one or two on the first Islamic community, so which question number covers which sub-topic varies from paper to paper, and in a given series either sub-topic may have only one question. Because the two compulsory questions cover 1.1 and 1.2, and the choice among Questions 3 to 5 depends on how the remaining questions fall between 1.3 and 1.4, breadth across all four sub-topics, not just depth in two or three, is the safer preparation strategy.

Marks are also split by assessment objective: AO1 (Recall, select and present) makes up 68% of the qualification, covering the knowledge-based part of each question, while AO2 (Understanding) makes up the remaining 32%, rewarding candidates who go beyond description to explain significance and reasoning. The published mark scheme describes the highest AO1 band as one that is “likely to quote Qur’an verses and Hadiths to support points made” (or other relevant quotations), against “may” quote for the band below — so a top-band answer characteristically includes supporting reference, though this is a description of what such answers tend to do, not an absolute rule against fact-only answers.

Key content across the four sub-topics

The Qur’an was revealed over 23 years (610–632 CE), beginning in the Cave of Hira, through the angel Jibril, and consists of 114 surahs — generally shorter Makkan surahs concerned with tawhid, the afterlife and moral conduct, and generally longer Madinan surahs concerned with law, community and social order. It was compiled under Abu Bakr, after the Battle of Yamama had killed many of those who had memorised it, and later standardised under Uthman, who distributed official copies and had variant texts destroyed — two distinct stages that examiners expect to see kept separate, not conflated into one event.

The Prophet’s life (1.3) and the first Islamic community (1.4) are best revised as a connected timeline rather than as isolated facts: the first revelation in 610, the Hijra to Madinah in 622 that marks the start of the Islamic calendar, the Constitution of Madinah establishing Muslims, Jews and other groups as a single community under the Prophet’s arbitration, the pairing of the Muhajirun with the Ansar as a practical response to the migrants’ destitution, the Battles of Badr, Uhud and the Trench, and the Farewell Sermon setting out equality, the sanctity of life and property, and the abolition of usury and blood feuds. Placing these events in relation to one another, rather than recalling them in isolation, is exactly what essay questions on these two sub-topics often ask candidates to do.

How to approach it

As with the IGCSE variant of this syllabus, each paper mixes a compulsory question with a choice from the remainder, so breadth of preparation across all four sub-topics matters more than depth in only one or two — a candidate weak on one sub-topic risks being forced into unfamiliar territory if that is where the compulsory question falls. Answers are strongest when they combine accurate factual recall — dates, names, sequence of events — with an explanation of significance, since 1.2 and 1.3 explicitly ask for an understanding of importance, not just narrative retelling. Build a simple timeline of the Prophet’s life and the early community (1.3 and 1.4) as a revision anchor, since many exam questions ask candidates to place events in relation to one another. For 1.1 and 1.2, practise linking a named theme of the Qur’an to a specific example of its teaching rather than listing themes as abstract labels — vague, unsupported statements are a common way marks are lost even when the underlying knowledge is correct. As with any two-paper qualification examined across a defined series, confirm your own centre’s exact entry pattern and paper timetable directly with your school rather than assuming it matches another qualification’s.

Official syllabus

Cambridge O Level Islamiyat 2058 syllabus for 2026 and 2027, version 1 — cambridgeinternational.org.

Related resources

• Paper 1: Revision Notes — condensed recall notes on the real Q1–Q5 question structure and mark scheme
• Paper 1: Practice Questions — original exam-style questions in the real compulsory-plus-choice format, with full worked answers
• IGCSE Islamiyat: Paper 1 (Cambridge 0493) — the equivalent paper for Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat, identical in sub-topic structure to this O Level syllabus
• Islamiyat subject hub — all Marlbridge Islamiyat resources across IGCSE and O Level