Islam: Crime and Punishment | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Islam: Crime and Punishment
- 91 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Islam, one religion of seven
- Paper 2
Islam: Crime and Punishment is examined in Paper 2, Area of Study 2: Religion, Peace and Conflict, if Islam is the religion studied for that area.
It covers Muslim attitudes to justice, Muslim attitudes to crime, Muslim teaching on good, evil and suffering, Muslim attitudes to punishment, Muslim attitudes to the aims of punishment, Muslim teaching on forgiveness, Muslim teaching on the treatment of criminals and Muslim attitudes to the death penalty.
Sample questions from Islam: Crime and Punishment
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Muslim attitudes to justice
Why is justice important for Muslims?
Show the answer
Allah is just and commands justice, so Muslims who act justly obey him. Justice protects the weak and keeps society at peace. -
Muslim attitudes to crime
What causes of crime do Muslims recognise?
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Muslims recognise poverty, greed, addiction, poor upbringing and mental illness as causes of crime. Islam tackles poverty through zakah and forbids alcohol and drugs. -
Muslim teaching on good, evil and suffering
What does Surah 76:2–3 teach about human life?
Show the answer
Surah 76:2 says Allah created humans to test them and gave them hearing and sight. Surah 76:3 says Allah showed them the way, whether they are grateful or ungrateful. -
Muslim attitudes to punishment
What does Surah 5:44 teach about judging?
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Surah 5:44 says those who fail to judge by what Allah has revealed are disbelievers. Many Muslims use it to argue that Allah's law should guide punishment. -
Muslim attitudes to the aims of punishment
What is reformation, and how do Muslims view it?
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Reformation means helping offenders change their behaviour. Muslims value it because Allah always accepts sincere repentance (tawbah). -
Muslim teaching on forgiveness
How can a Muslim forgive an offender who is still punished?
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A victim may forgive personally while the court still punishes the crime. Forgiveness removes hatred, but justice must still protect society. -
Muslim teaching on the treatment of criminals
How should criminals be treated according to Muslim teaching?
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Criminals keep their human dignity and must be treated fairly and humanely. Punishment must follow a just trial and never exceed what the law allows. -
Muslim attitudes to the death penalty
Why might Muslims argue the death penalty deters crime?
Show the answer
Muslim supporters argue that a severe, public penalty warns others against killing. Surah 2:179 says there is life for society in qisas.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim attitudes to justice | Surah 4:135 for rich and poor, the Day of Judgement, justice for victims, the choices given to a murder victim's family, diyah, Humanist views, and Muhammad on helping an oppressor. | 11 |
| Muslim attitudes to crime | Surah 16:90 to 92, the causes of crime, crime as distraction from Allah, its harm to society, individual action, the Muslim Chaplains' Association and prison chaplaincy, and the work of Mosaic. | 11 |
| Muslim teaching on good, evil and suffering | Good and evil actions and their reward, human responsibility, Surah 76:2 to 3 and 76:12, the Shi'a link with Muhammad's family, atheist and Humanist claims, and the range of Muslim explanations of suffering. | 12 |
| Muslim attitudes to punishment | Surah 2:178 and 5:44 to 45, hudud and ta'zir punishments and disputes over hudud today, Caliph Umar's example in hardship, situation ethics, and British Muslims and UK law. | 12 |
| Muslim attitudes to the aims of punishment | Protection, retribution, deterrence and reformation from a Muslim view, doubts about harsh deterrence, the aim many rank highest, and Surah 4:26 to 32 on Allah's aims for sinners and on preventing crime. | 11 |
| Muslim teaching on forgiveness | Surah 64:14, Muhammad's own forgiveness, forgiving an offender who is still punished, community forgiveness, tawbah, restorative justice and qisas, and Muslim reservations about it. | 12 |
| Muslim teaching on the treatment of criminals | Surah 76:8 to 10 on prisoners and the motive for helping, Muslim prison work, torture and harsh interrogation, situation ethics, the rights of the accused, a fair trial in Islamic law, and trial by jury. | 11 |
| Muslim attitudes to the death penalty | What supporters say capital punishment is for, Sahih Muslim 16:4152, murder and deterrence, Muslim opposition today, apostasy, the UK's position, Humanist objections, situation ethics, and arguments on both sides. | 11 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 5,266 questions with their answers.