Islam: Philosophy of Religion | Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B (1RB0)
Islam: Philosophy of Religion
- 93 questions
- 8 subtopics
- Islam, one religion of seven
- Paper 3
Islam: Philosophy of Religion is examined in Paper 3, Area of Study 3: Religion, Philosophy and Social Justice, if Islam is the religion studied for that area.
It covers revelation as proof of the existence of Allah, visions and the existence of Allah, miracles and the existence of Allah, Muslim attitudes to religious experience, the design argument in Islam, the cosmological argument and al-Ghazali's kalam, suffering and Allah as compassionate and Muslim responses to the problem of suffering.
Sample questions from Islam: Philosophy of Religion
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Revelation as proof of the existence of Allah
What does Surah 34:48–49 teach about truth?
Show the answer
Surah 34:48–49 says Allah casts down the truth and the truth has come. Falsehood can neither begin nor restore anything. -
Visions and the existence of Allah
Which visions besides Maryam's does the Qur'an describe?
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Muhammad saw Jibril in his true form on the horizon (Surah 53:7–13). Yusuf dreamed of eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing to him (Surah 12:4). -
Miracles and the existence of Allah
What does Surah 17:89 teach about the Qur'an?
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Surah 17:89 says Allah has set out every kind of example in the Qur'an for people. Most people still refuse anything but disbelief. -
Muslim attitudes to religious experience
What is a conversion experience, and how has it led people to Islam?
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A conversion experience is a change that brings someone to faith. The singer Cat Stevens, now Yusuf Islam, prayed when nearly drowning in 1976 and later became a Muslim. -
The design argument in Islam
What is Ibn Rushd's argument from providence?
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Ibn Rushd argued that the world is perfectly suited to human life, which shows a caring designer. The sun, rain and seasons all serve human needs. -
The cosmological argument and al-Ghazali's kalam
What is kalam?
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Kalam is Islamic theology that uses reason to defend belief. The kalam cosmological argument reasons from the universe's beginning to Allah. -
Suffering and Allah as compassionate
What is the difference between moral and natural suffering?
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Moral suffering is caused by human choices, such as war and crime. Natural suffering comes from nature, such as earthquakes and disease. -
Muslim responses to the problem of suffering
How does free will explain moral suffering?
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Allah gave humans free will, and many choose to harm others. Moral suffering is the cost of real freedom, not Allah's doing.
The 8 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Revelation as proof of the existence of Allah | The Qur'an as proof, Surah 34:46 to 50, direct revelation and revelation through a messenger, Surah 42:51, general revelation, whether the Qur'an is created, inspiration in Shi'a and Sufi thought, and the atheist challenge. | 12 |
| Visions and the existence of Allah | Maryam's vision in Surah 19:16 to 22 and its importance, other Qur'anic visions, dreams, the hallucination objection, and Sunni, Shi'a and Sufi understandings of visions. | 12 |
| Miracles and the existence of Allah | The Qur'an as the greatest miracle, Surah 17:85 to 89 on the soul and the Qur'an, examples Muslims believe in, scientific and non-religious challenges, wonders after the prophets, and what miracles show of Allah. | 12 |
| Muslim attitudes to religious experience | Surah 2:118 on demands for signs, experiencing Allah in worship, conversion, Sufi practice and fana, al-Ghazali's change, the Shi'a sense of the sacred, Sunni caution, and non-religious challenges. | 11 |
| The design argument in Islam | Surah 2:164 and its use in the argument, Ibn Rushd's argument from providence, what design shows of Allah, evolution within design, why some think it unnecessary, and the challenge from suffering. | 11 |
| The cosmological argument and al-Ghazali's kalam | Surah 79:27 to 33, al-Ghazali and the work where he set out his argument, Ibn Sina's contrasting argument, what it shows of Allah, non-religious challenges, and the question of what caused Allah. | 12 |
| Suffering and Allah as compassionate | Al-Fatihah on Allah and why it makes suffering a problem, moral and natural suffering, questions about omnipotence and compassion, the philosophical argument, innocent suffering, and how suffering can shake belief. | 11 |
| Muslim responses to the problem of suffering | Suffering as a test, Surah 2:152 to 157 and 2:177 on patience, free will, Musa and al-Khidr, the afterlife, prayer and charity, and Ash'ari and Shi'a views of Allah's justice. | 12 |
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.