Mastering The key beliefs, practices and features of the early Muslim community founded by the Prophet: Malaikah to The early leaders of the Muslim community: Edexcel IGCSE Islamic Studies Study Notes

The second half of Section B covers angels, Islamic law, etiquette and the early leaders who guided the Muslim community after the Prophet's death. These four topics span the unseen world, the legal system, daily conduct and political succession.

This article covers edexcel igcse islamic studies the key beliefs, practices and features of the early muslim community founded by the prophet: malaikah to the early leaders of the muslim community. Each topic builds on the theological foundations covered in the first half of Section B (Tawhid, Risalah, holy books, al-Qadr, Akhirah) and adds the institutional and practical dimensions that shaped the early community into a functioning civilisation. Clean, precise answers on these topics require a solid command of Arabic terminology and the ability to explain concepts in their proper context.

Malaikah (Angels)

Belief in angels (Malaikah) is one of the six articles of Islamic faith. Angels are created beings made from light (nur), who do not possess free will and carry out the commands of Allah without hesitation or error. They are distinct from humans (who have free will) and from jinn (who also have free will but are made from smokeless fire).

The specification requires knowledge of four principal angels and their roles:

In addition to these four, Muslims believe in recording angels (Kiraman Katibin) who document every deed, good and bad, and guardian angels who protect people throughout their lives. The existence of angels is affirmed throughout the Qur'an and in the hadith literature.

Shari'ah

Shari'ah (Islamic law) is the comprehensive system of rules and principles that governs every aspect of Muslim life, from worship to commerce to personal conduct. The specification covers its sources, its importance in the early community, and the classification of human actions.

Principal sources. The two primary sources of Shari'ah are the Qur'an and the Sunnah. The Qur'an provides the foundational principles (for example, the prohibition of theft, the obligation of prayer), while the Sunnah provides the detailed application (how prayers are performed, what constitutes theft, and what penalties apply). When a question arises that neither the Qur'an nor the Sunnah addresses directly, scholars turn to two supplementary sources:

• Ijma (consensus) - the agreement of qualified scholars on a legal question. Once consensus is reached, the ruling becomes authoritative.
• Qiyas (analogy) - reasoning by analogy from an existing ruling to a new situation. For example, the Qur'an prohibits wine (khamr). By qiyas, scholars extend this prohibition to all intoxicating substances, because the underlying reason for the prohibition (the impairment of reason) applies equally.

The Ahkam pentad. Shari'ah classifies all human actions into five categories:

Understanding the distinction between halal (permissible in the broad sense, encompassing fard through mubah) and haram is fundamental. The Ahkam pentad shows that Islamic law is not a simple binary of "allowed" and "forbidden" but a graduated scale that accounts for the full range of human actions and motivations.

Islamic etiquette, attitude and manners

This topic covers the adab (etiquette) that governs a Muslim's daily interactions. The specification identifies three specific areas: relations with other people, attitudes to lying and harmful speech, and manners when eating.

Relations with other people. Islamic etiquette emphasises greeting others with the salam ("as-salamu alaykum" - "peace be upon you"), treating neighbours with kindness regardless of their faith, visiting the sick, attending funerals, and maintaining family ties. The Prophet said: "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" (Sahih al-Bukhari). This hadith encapsulates the social ethic: genuine concern for others is not optional but an expression of faith itself.

Lying and harmful speech. The Qur'an and Sunnah prohibit lying (kidhb), backbiting (ghibah), slander (buhtan), and spreading rumours (namimah). The Prophet described backbiting as "mentioning your brother in a way he would dislike" (Sahih Muslim) and compared it to eating the flesh of one's dead brother (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12). These prohibitions are not merely moral preferences but legal categories within Shari'ah: harmful speech can constitute a violation that damages the community's cohesion.

Manners when eating. Islamic etiquette prescribes eating with the right hand, saying "Bismillah" (in the name of Allah) before eating, eating from the food nearest to you, not wasting food, and expressing gratitude to Allah after the meal. These practices are derived from the Sunnah and reflect the principle that even the most ordinary daily actions can be acts of worship when performed with the right intention (niyyah).

The importance of correct etiquette is that it reflects the inner state of the believer. A Muslim who worships Allah in the mosque but mistreats neighbours, speaks dishonestly, or wastes food is not living in accordance with Islam. The Qur'an and Sunnah treat worship (ibadah) and conduct (mu'amalat) as inseparable dimensions of a faithful life.

The early leaders of the Muslim community

This topic covers the Khulafa al-Rashidun (the Rightly Guided Caliphs): Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Their period of leadership (632-661 CE) is considered by Sunni Muslims to be the golden age of Islamic governance.

Abu Bakr (632-634 CE). The first Khalifah. He was the Prophet's closest companion and father-in-law. His immediate challenges included the Ridda Wars (wars against tribes that had renounced Islam or refused to pay Zakah after the Prophet's death), the compilation of the Qur'an into a single manuscript, and the beginning of military campaigns into the Byzantine and Sassanid empires. He was known for his gentleness, his deep knowledge of pre-Islamic genealogy, and his unwavering loyalty to the Prophet.

Umar ibn al-Khattab (634-644 CE). The second Khalifah. Under his leadership, the Islamic state expanded dramatically to include Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Persia. He established administrative systems including a treasury (Bayt al-Mal), a calendar (the Hijri calendar, starting from the year of the Hijrah), and the office of the judiciary. He was known for his strict sense of justice and would walk through Madinah at night to check on the welfare of the poor.

Uthman ibn Affan (644-656 CE). The third Khalifah. His most enduring achievement was the standardisation of the Qur'an: he ordered the production of authoritative copies from Abu Bakr's compiled manuscript and distributed them to major cities, ordering that variant copies be destroyed. He continued the territorial expansion but faced increasing internal opposition, partly due to accusations of favouring his own Umayyad clan in appointments. He was assassinated in 656 CE.

Ali ibn Abi Talib (656-661 CE). The fourth Khalifah, the Prophet's cousin and son-in-law. His caliphate was marked by civil war (fitna): the Battle of the Camel (against Aisha, Talhah and Zubayr), the Battle of Siffin (against Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan), and the emergence of the Kharijites. Ali was assassinated by a Kharijite in 661 CE. Shi'a Muslims consider Ali the legitimate successor to the Prophet from the outset, a position that is the foundational difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam.

The importance of this period for the Islamic community cannot be overstated. The Rightly Guided Caliphs established the institutions, the legal frameworks and the territorial reach that transformed Islam from a regional community into a global civilisation. Their example, alongside the Prophet's own, provides the model of governance that Islamic political theory continues to reference.

Self-check questions

1. Name the four principal angels and explain one role for each.
2. Explain the difference between fard and mandub, giving one example of each.
3. Why is backbiting (ghibah) considered a serious offence in Islam? Reference at least one Qur'anic verse or hadith.
4. Compare the achievements of Abu Bakr and Uthman in relation to the preservation of the Qur'an.
5. Why is the period of the Khulafa al-Rashidun considered a "golden age" by Sunni Muslims?

These edexcel igcse islamic studies revision notes cover the second half of Section B. The topics here are where belief meets practice: angels operationalise the divine plan, Shari'ah translates revelation into law, etiquette embodies faith in daily conduct, and the early leaders demonstrate how all of these principles function in the governance of a real community.

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