Islamic Studies / Ethics
What is tested
Basic beliefs and worship, the life (Seerat) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the early Islamic period, and everyday ethics - honesty, justice, trust, respect for parents and elders, tolerance. Expect direct factual questions plus one or two applied-ethics items that ask what a person should do in a situation and why.
Core facts
- Five Pillars: Shahadah, Salah, Sawm, Zakat, Hajj.
- Six articles of faith: Allah, angels, revealed books, prophets, the Day of Judgement, divine decree.
- Quran: 114 surahs, 30 juz, revealed over about 23 years; the first revelation was the opening verses of Surah Al-Alaq in the Cave of Hira, 610 CE.
- Hijra to Madinah in 622 CE marks year 1 of the Islamic calendar.
- Battles: Badr (2 AH), Uhud (3 AH), Khandaq/Ahzab (5 AH).
- Khulafa-e-Rashideen: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali (may Allah be pleased with them).
Worked example
Question: In which year did the Hijra take place, and what does that date mark?
Reasoning: the migration from Makkah to Madinah took place in 622 CE. Because the Islamic calendar begins with that event, 622 CE corresponds to 1 AH - not to the year of the first revelation and not to the year of the Prophet's passing. The paper often offers 610 CE and 632 CE as distractors, so attach every date to its specific event rather than memorising bare numbers.
Traps
- Confusing CE dates with Hijri years: 622 CE is 1 AH.
- Mixing the number of surahs (114) with the number of juz (30).
- Mixing the years of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq.
- Answering ethics questions with slogans instead of a concrete action and its reason.
- Writing names carelessly; spell them accurately and respectfully.