The Holy Books and Angels (1RA0)

Not two lists, one idea

This part of the specification is usually revised as two things to memorise: five holy books, and three named angels. Learn it that way and it stays inert. They are one idea. Muslims believe that Allah does not leave humanity to work things out alone, and that revelation is sent - through an angel, to a prophet, and set down as a book. Take the angel out and the books have no way of arriving. You have already met Risalah, prophethood, in the module before this one. This one supplies the other two links in the same chain: Malaikah, the angels, and the Kutub, the holy books.

The names you need

Six terms. Spelling matters here, and so does knowing which prophet goes with which book:

Match each book to the prophet it was revealed to

Why the Qur'an comes first

Get this sentence right and you have the hardest mark in the topic. Muslims believe that all of these books were genuine revelations from Allah. The Tawrat, the Zabur, the Injil and the Sahifah are not regarded as false books, and a Muslim would not describe them that way. The Qur'an holds the highest authority because Muslims believe it alone has been preserved unchanged since it was revealed to Muhammad, in the language in which it was revealed. The earlier books, on this belief, are not available today in the form in which they were originally given. So the difference is about preservation, not about which book was true. An answer that says Muslims reject the earlier books has got the belief wrong, not just imprecisely stated - and it is the most common error on this question.

What do Muslims believe about the earlier books?

A question asks why the Qur'an holds the greatest authority for Muslims. Which answer is both accurate and complete?

• All the books were revealed by Allah, but Muslims believe only the Qur'an has been preserved unchanged since it was revealed
• Muslims reject the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil as false books written by people
• The Qur'an is the longest and most detailed of the revealed books
• The Qur'an is the only book Muslims believe Allah has ever revealed

What Muslims believe about angels

Belief in Malaikah is one of the Six Beliefs, and it is held in common across Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The right-hand column matters as much as the left, because it is where answers go wrong.

Which TWO are accurate?

Select the TWO statements that accurately describe Muslim belief about angels.

• Angels have no free will and carry out Allah's will exactly
• Jibril is believed to have brought the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad
• Angels are worshipped alongside Allah as lesser divine beings
• Belief in angels is held by Shi'a Muslims but not by Sunni Muslims

Which sentence is written like an RS answer?

Religious Studies answers describe what a tradition teaches rather than asserting it as fact. Three of these sentences do not. Tap the ONE that is written correctly.

• The angel Jibril delivered the Qur'an to Muhammad in a cave.
• It seems unlikely that a book could be preserved word for word for so long.
• Muslims believe that the Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibril, and that it has been preserved unchanged ever since.
• Angels are quite an important part of the religion.

Now find the one that is simply wrong

Here are four sentences from a student's revision notes. Three are accurate. Tap the ONE that misrepresents Muslim belief.

• Muslims believe the Tawrat was revealed to Musa by Allah.
• Muslims believe the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil were made up by people and were never revelation at all.
• Muslims believe the Qur'an is the final revelation and has been preserved unchanged.
• The Sahifah, the Scrolls traditionally associated with Ibrahim, are not available today.

The chain of revelation

Put the stages in the order Muslims believe revelation reaches humanity.

• Allah wills that a message should be given to humanity
• An angel, created to carry out Allah's will exactly, is sent with it
• The message is delivered to a prophet, who is a human being chosen by Allah
• The prophet passes the message on to the people around him
• Followers memorise it and write it down so that it is preserved
• What is preserved becomes one of the Kutub, the holy books

Say it back, with the references

The holy books are called the _____. Muslims believe the Tawrat was revealed to Musa, the Zabur to _____, and the Injil to Isa, and that all of them came from Allah. The Qur'an holds the highest authority because Muslims believe it alone has been _____ unchanged. Belief in the angels, or _____, is one of the Six Beliefs, and the angel _____ is believed to have brought revelation to the prophets.

Three decisions in an answer

Three moments where accuracy and phrasing decide the mark.

• You want to write about the authority of the Tawrat. Which sentence do you use?
• A classmate writes that Muslims pray to Jibril for help because he is close to Allah. What is wrong with that?
• The question is worth six marks and asks you to explain Muslim beliefs about the holy books. You have named all five. What will add most?

Books and angels, connected

Explain Muslim beliefs about the holy books and the angels, and how the two are connected.

• Name the holy books and say which prophet each was revealed to
• Explain why Muslims give the Qur'an the highest authority, stating what they believe about the earlier books as well
• Describe what Muslims believe angels are, including that they have no free will and are not worshipped
• Explain the role of Jibril, and use it to connect the angels to the books
• Write every claim as what Muslims believe, and refer to a source by name rather than quoting it