WAEC Islamic Studies (OBJ & Essay) Questions and Answers 2026

*WAEC ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS STUDIES (IRS) – PAPER 2 (ESSAY)* *COMPLETE ANSWERS – QUESTIONS 1 TO 6* =========================================================== *QUESTION 1 (COMPULSORY)* =========================================================== A Muslim travels to Makkah for devotion to Allah through observance of certain rites. *(a)(i) Mention the name of the devotion* *Answer:* Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) *(a)(ii) Define your answer in (a)(i)* Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to the holy city of Makkah that every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able must perform at least once in their lifetime. It is the fifth pillar of Islam. *(b)(i) Explain the first compulsory act of worship he would observe on his arrival* Upon arrival in Makkah, the first compulsory act is *Tawaf al-Qudum* (the Arrival Tawaf). The pilgrim enters the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram), stops reciting the Talbiyah, and walks around the Ka'bah seven times in a counter-clockwise direction, starting from the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad). After Tawaf, he prays two rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim and drinks Zamzam water. *(b)(ii) Describe his next three compulsory acts of worship to be observed* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Act | Description | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | 1. Wuquf (Standing) at Arafah | On the 9th of Dhul-Hijjah, the pilgrim | | | stands at the plain of Arafah from noon | | | until sunset, supplicating and seeking | | | forgiveness. This is the most important | | | rite of Hajj. | | 2. Muzdalifah | After sunset at Arafah, the pilgrim goes | | | to Muzdalifah, prays Maghrib and Isha | | | together, spends the night, and collects | | | pebbles for stoning. | | 3. Stoning of Jamarat | On the 10th, 11th, and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah,| | | the pilgrim throws seven pebbles at the | | | largest Jamarah (Jamarat al-Aqabah), then | | | the other two in following days. | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ *(c) Highlight five lessons he would learn through the devotion* 1. *Tawheed (Oneness of Allah)* – All pilgrims wear the same simple white garments (Ihram), showing that all are equal before Allah. 2. *Patience (Sabr)* – The crowds, heat, and physical exertion teach patience. 3. *Obedience to Allah* – Performing rites exactly as taught by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) demonstrates submission to Allah's commands. 4. *Forgiveness and Repentance* – Hajj is an opportunity to seek forgiveness for past sins. 5. *Brotherhood and Equality* – Muslims from all races, nations, and social classes come together as one Ummah. =========================================================== *QUESTION 2* =========================================================== *(a) Write on Imam Bukhari under the following headings:* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Heading | Answer | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | (i) Year of birth | 194 AH (810 CE) | | (ii) Place of birth | Bukhara (present-day Uzbekistan) | | (iii) Full name | Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Ismail | | | al-Bukhari | | (iv) Year of death | 256 AH (870 CE) | | (v) Title of his collection | Sahih al-Bukhari | | (vi) One of his teachers | Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (or Ali ibn al-Madini)| | (vii) One place he visited | Baghdad, Basra, Makkah, Madinah, Damascus, | | to learn | Egypt (any one) | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ *(b) State six reasons why Imam Bukhari's Hadith collection is regarded as the most authentic* 1. Strict criteria for accepting narrators – each narrator must be known for piety, memory, and reliability. 2. He verified each Hadith by praying two rak'ahs before accepting it. 3. He only included Hadith with an unbroken chain of transmission (Isnad) reaching the Prophet (SAW). 4. He personally interviewed over 1,000 scholars and collected over 600,000 Hadith, selecting only about 7,275. 5. He organized the Hadith by subject matter (Kitab), making it easy to use. 6. The entire Muslim Ummah (Sunni) has accepted Sahih al-Bukhari as the most authentic book after the Qur'an. =========================================================== *QUESTION 3* =========================================================== Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was a religious leader, arbitrator, administrator, and judge in Madinah. *(a) Which two tribes welcomed Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to Yathrib?* 1. *Aus* (Aws) 2. *Khazraj* *(b) Highlight five administrative roles of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in Madinah* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Role | Description | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | 1. Head of state | He governed Madinah as the political leader.| | 2. Commander-in-chief | He led the Muslim army in battles (Badr, | | | Uhud, Trench). | | 3. Chief judge | He settled disputes between individuals and | | | tribes. | | 4. Treaty negotiator | He established the Constitution of Madinah | | | and treaties with Jews and other tribes. | | 5. Economic administrator | He organized the market of Madinah and | | | regulated trade and taxes (Zakat). | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ *(c) Explain four factors that led to the migration (Hijrah) of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to Yathrib* 1. *Persecution by Quraysh* – The Quraysh of Makkah tortured and boycotted Muslims, making life unbearable. 2. *Assassination plot* – The Quraysh planned to kill the Prophet (SAW) by sending one man from each tribe to strike simultaneously. 3. *Invitation from Yathrib* – Leaders from Aus and Khazraj had accepted Islam at Aqabah and invited the Prophet to come as an arbitrator. 4. *Need for a safe base* – To establish an Islamic state where Muslims could practice their religion freely and spread Islam peacefully. =========================================================== *QUESTION 4 (Truthfulness – Q.2:42 & Prophet's example)* =========================================================== *(a) Explain truthfulness as emphasised in Q.2:42 (4 marks)* Qur'an 2:42 says: "Do not mix truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth while you know it." This verse commands Muslims to always speak and uphold the truth, avoid distorting facts, and never hide the truth deliberately for personal gain. *(b) Describe four ways Prophet Muhammad (SAW) demonstrated truthfulness (12 marks)* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Way | Description | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | 1. Honesty in trade | Before prophethood, he was known as | | | "Al-Amin" (the Trustworthy) for his fair | | | dealings in business. | | 2. No compromise on revelation| He delivered the Qur'an exactly as revealed,| | | without adding or removing anything. | | 3. Keeping promises | He never broke a promise, even to enemies. | | 4. Truth in all situations | He always spoke the truth, even when it was | | | against his own interest. | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ *(c) Highlight three consequences of not upholding truthfulness in a society (9 marks)* 1. *Loss of trust* – People no longer believe each other, leading to social breakdown. 2. *Injustice and corruption* – Lies protect wrongdoers and punish the innocent. 3. *Chaos and instability* – Without truth, agreements fail, courts become useless, and society collapses. =========================================================== *QUESTION 5 (Ayat al-Kursi – Q.2:255)* =========================================================== *(a) What is the common name given to the above verse?* *Answer:* Ayat al-Kursi (The Throne Verse) *(b) Copy and complete the verse either in Arabic or transliteration (7 marks)* *Transliteration:* "Allahu la ilaha illa Huwa, al-Hayyul-Qayyum. La ta'khudhuhu sinatun wa la nawm. Lahu ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-ard. Man dhal-ladhi yashfa'u 'indahu illa bi-idhnih. Ya'lamu ma bayna aydihim wa ma khalfahum. Wa la yuhituna bi shay'im min 'ilmihi illa bima sha'a. Wasi'a kursiyyuhus-samawati wal-ard. Wa la ya'uduhu hifdhuhuma. Wa Huwal 'Aliyyul-'Adhim." *(c) Identify four attributes of Allah and their meanings from the verse (8 marks)* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Attribute | Meaning | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | 1. Al-Hayyu | The Ever-Living – He never dies. | | 2. Al-Qayyum | The Self-Subsisting – He sustains all | | | creation. | | 3. Al-'Aliyy | The Most High – He is exalted above all. | | 4. Al-'Adhim | The Supreme – His greatness is beyond | | | comprehension. | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ *(d) Highlight four teachings of Q.2:255 (8 marks)* 1. Allah alone is God – no one is worthy of worship except Him. 2. Allah never sleeps or tires – He is always aware of everything. 3. No one can intercede with Allah except by His permission. 4. His knowledge encompasses everything – past, present, and future. =========================================================== *QUESTION 6 (Hadith of an-Nawawi – "Whoever sees an evil...")* =========================================================== *(a) Identify the position of the above Hadith in an-Nawawi's collection (2 marks)* *Answer:* Hadith No. 34 (in an-Nawawi's 40 Hadith collection) *(b) Complete the translation of the above Hadith (8 marks)* "Whoever amongst you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand (by action); if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue (by speaking against it); if he is not able to do so, then with his heart (by hating it); and that is the weakest of faith." *(c) Explain five comments on the above Hadith (15 marks)* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Comment | Explanation | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | 1. Gradation of action | The Hadith shows three levels of correcting | | | evil: physical action (strongest faith), | | | verbal (medium), and heart (weakest faith). | | 2. Changing by hand | This applies to those in authority (ruler, | | | judge, parent, employer). | | 3. Changing by tongue | This applies to scholars, teachers, and | | | ordinary Muslims advising others. | | 4. Hating evil in heart | This is the minimum requirement for every | | | Muslim; if one does not even hate evil, | | | their faith is endangered. | | 5. Duty of all Muslims | Every Muslim has a responsibility to forbid | | | evil, not just religious leaders. | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ =========================================================== *END OF ANSWERS – QUESTIONS 1 TO 6* =========================================================== *INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EXAM:* +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Requirement | Details | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+ | Total questions to answer | FOUR (4) | | Question 1 | COMPULSORY (all parts) | | Remaining three | Choose any three from Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6 | | Total marks | 100 marks | | Time | Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes | +-------------------------------+---------------------------------------------+

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WAEC IRS NUMBER TWO (2ai) He was born in the year 810 CE (194 AH). This was during the early Abbasid period of Islamic history. (2aii) He was born in Bukhara (present-day Uzbekistan). The city was a major center of Islamic learning at the time. (2aiii) His full name is Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari. (2aiv) He died in 870 CE (256 AH). (2av) His famous Hadith collection is Sahih al-Bukhari. It is considered the most authentic book after the Qur’an. (2avi) One of his teachers One of his teachers was Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal. (2avii) One place he visited to learn He traveled to Makkah for knowledge. During his journeys, he collected and verified Hadiths. (2b) (i) He applied strict criteria for accepting Hadith narrators. (ii) He ensured an unbroken chain of transmission (isnad). (iii) He verified the character and reliability of narrators. (iv) He only included Hadiths that met high standards of accuracy. (v) He spent many years traveling and cross-checking sources. (vi)Scholars widely accepted his work due to its rigorous methodology and precision.

IRS (3a) (i) Aws (ii) Khazraj (3b) (i) Establishment of the Constitution of Madīnah: He drafted a constitution that guided the relationship between Muslims, Jews, and other groups. It ensured peace, justice, and cooperation among the people. (ii) Maintenance of law and order: He ensured that peace prevailed in the society by settling disputes and preventing conflicts. This created stability in Madīnah. (iii) Collection and distribution of Zakat: He organized the collection of Zakat from the wealthy. The funds were distributed to the poor and needy to reduce inequality. (iv) Appointment of officials: He appointed governors, judges, and other officers to assist in administration. This helped in effective governance of the growing Muslim community. (v) Defense and security of the state: He organized the Muslim army and planned defense strategies. This protected Madīnah from external attacks. (3c) (i) Persecution in Makkah: Muslims were severely oppressed by the Quraysh. This made it difficult for them to practice their religion freely. (ii) Invitation from the people of Yathrib: The people of Yathrib invited the Prophet to come and lead them. They pledged support through the Pledges of Aqabah. (iii) Need for a safe place to practice Islam: Muslims needed an environment where they could worship without fear. Yathrib offered safety and acceptance. (iv) Divine instruction from Allah: The Prophet migrated following Allah’s command. This made the Hijrah a significant event in Islamic history.