Tawhid and Risalah

A belief is not the answer. It is the reason ⚖️

On this paper Islam sits inside **Religion, Peace and Conflict**. The questions are not "what do Muslims believe?" so much as "what should a Muslim do, and why?" That changes what a belief is for. **Tawhid and Risalah are where the arguments start**: they are the grounds a Muslim reasons from about forgiveness, justice and how to treat an enemy. This module is about turning a belief you know into evidence you can use.

What each attribute gives you to argue with 🗂️

You already know the attributes. Here is what a Muslim can build on each of them, which is what this paper actually asks for. The specification names **Surah 112** on Tawhid:

Match each attribute to what a Muslim might argue from it

Mercy and justice, held together ↔️

The strongest answers on this paper resist a simple line. **Muslims hold both of these**, and an argument that uses only one is easy to knock down in the evaluation.

Assert, or evidence? 🎯

Here is the difference between a mid-mark answer and a top one on this paper. **Asserting**: "Muslims believe Allah is merciful, so they should forgive." True, and it goes nowhere. **Evidencing**: "Muslims believe Allah is the Most Merciful, the phrase that opens nearly every surah of the Qur'an. A believer who hopes to receive that mercy has a reason to extend it, which is why many Muslims argue for reconciliation rather than revenge." The second one **names the belief, shows where it comes from, and draws the consequence**. Three moves, one sentence each. Do that and the evaluation almost writes itself, because you have something an opposing view has to answer.

Which sentence uses the belief as evidence? ✍️

An interactive activity.

Which sentence stops too early? ✂️

An interactive activity.

Risalah: not just a list 📜

**Risalah** is prophethood. On this paper what matters is that Muslims regard the prophets as **examples to follow**, so a question about conduct can be answered from them. The specification names **Surah 2:136**, in which believers affirm the prophets without distinguishing between them:

Which would gain the most credit? ❓

A question asks whether a Muslim should forgive someone who has wronged them. Which answer opening would gain most credit?

• Muslims believe Allah is the Most Merciful, so a believer hoping for that mercy has a reason to extend it to others
• Muslims believe Allah is merciful and forgiving
• Forgiveness is generally the right thing to do
• Muslims believe in Tawhid, Risalah, Akhirah, al-Qadr, the angels and the holy books

What does Risalah give a Muslim? ✅

Select the TWO statements that accurately describe the role of Risalah in guiding how a Muslim acts.

• Guidance about conduct comes through prophets Allah has sent, rather than being left to individual opinion
• The prophets, and Muhammad above all, are regarded as examples of how to behave
• Only Muhammad is regarded as a prophet, so only his example counts
• The prophets are believed to share in the divine nature

Order the answer 🪜

An interactive activity.

Three decisions 🧭

An interactive activity.

The summary 📝

On this paper a belief is _____, not the answer itself. _____, the oneness of Allah, grounds arguments about one human family; the _____ of Allah grounds arguments for forgiveness; and His justice grounds arguments for a fair response. Muslims hold mercy and justice _____ rather than choosing between them. _____ matters here because Muslims regard the prophets as examples to follow, so a question about conduct can be answered from them.

Your turn 📄

An interactive activity.