Diacriticalisation of the Qur'an
9 Grade 10 Religious Education (IRE) questions on Diacriticalisation of the Qur'an, with worked marking schemes. 9 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
1 markWhile making a class chart, Hassan notices that the copies of the Qur'an sent out by Caliph Uthman (R.A.) had no dots or vowel marks. What is the best explanation for this?
A. The copies were meant only for the caliph's governors
B. Marks were left out to save scarce writing materials
C. Arabic writing then did not commonly use such marks
D. Caliph Uthman (R.A.) had forbidden adding any marks
(1 mark)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 2
4 marksDuring a debate, a classmate argues that adding dots and vowel marks to the Qur'an was an innovation that changed the Qur'an. Explain two reasons why diacriticalisation perfected the recitation of the Qur'an rather than changing it. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 3
4 marksDuring a class activity, learners compare Qur'anic words written with and without vowel marks. One of the words is written as كتب without any vowel marks.
(a) Explain why a reader could read this word in more than one way. (2 marks)
(b) Give two possible readings of the word, with their meanings, to show how vowel marks fix the correct reading. (2 marks) Total: 4 marks
(4 marks)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 4
4 marksExamine four circumstances that led to the diacriticalisation of the Qur'an. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme
Any four of the following, 1 mark each (4 marks): - The Uthmanic copies were written without dots (i'jam) or vowel marks (tashkil). - Islam spread to non-Arabs (for example Persians) who could not read the unmarked script correctly. - Errors in recitation began to appear, some of which changed the meaning of verses, for example the misreading of Q. 9:3 as 'wa rasulihi' instead of 'wa rasuluhu'. - Arabs mixing with non-Arabs in the new cities, such as Basra and Kufa, began to speak Arabic incorrectly (lahn). - Many letters share the same shape, so readers confused them without dots. - The companions who had learnt recitation directly from the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) were dying. - Leaders such as Ziyad bin Abihi and al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf, governors of Iraq, wanted to protect correct recitation and asked scholars to act. - Muslims needed to read the Qur'an correctly in order to pray and learn properly.
Question 5
6 marksDescribe three stages through which dots and vowel marks were introduced into the text of the Qur'an. For each stage, name the scholar or scholars associated with it. (6 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
For each stage: 1 mark for the scholar(s) and 1 mark for what was introduced (3 x 2 = 6 marks). Stage 1, vowel dots: - Abu al-Aswad ad-Du'ali, in Basra at the request of the governor Ziyad bin Abihi. (1 mark) - He marked the short vowels with dots in a different colour from the text (usually red): a dot above the letter for fatha, below it for kasra, and in front of or beside it for damma; two dots showed tanwin. (1 mark) Stage 2, letter-pointing (i'jam): - Nasr bin Asim al-Laythi and Yahya bin Ya'mar, under al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf, governor of Iraq in the reign of the Umayyad caliph Abdulmalik bin Marwan. (1 mark) - They added dots in the same ink as the text to tell apart letters of the same shape, such as ba, ta and tha, or dal and dhal. (1 mark) Stage 3, the present vowel signs: - Al-Khalil bin Ahmad al-Farahidi (died about 170 A.H.). (1 mark) - He replaced the vowel dots with the signs used today: fatha, kasra and damma, drawn from small forms of alif, ya and waw, and he added signs such as shaddah, sukun and hamzah. (1 mark) Accept a correct description in any order if each stage is clearly identified.
Question 6
1 markA madrasa teacher writes the letters ب, ت and ث on the board. She explains that without certain marks the three letters would look exactly alike. In the history of the Qur'anic script, the marks that distinguish such letters are known as
A. I'jam
B. Waqf
C. Tashkil
D. Tartil
(1 mark)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 7
3 marksState how each of the following marks guides a reader when reciting the Qur'an.
(a) Fatha (1 mark)
(b) Sukun (1 mark)
(c) Maddah (1 mark) Total: 3 marks
(3 marks)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 8
1 markWhile reciting, Yusuf sees a small mark shaped like the head of the letter sin (ـّ) above a letter, and his teacher tells him to pronounce that letter twice, with emphasis. What is the name of this mark?
A. Sukun
B. Kasratan
C. Shaddah
D. Maddah
(1 mark)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see itQuestion 9
4 marksAssess four ways in which the diacriticalisation of the Qur'an has made it easier for Muslims in Kenya, most of whom are not native Arabic speakers, to read and learn the Qur'an. (4 marks)
(4 marks)
Marking scheme for this question
Create a free account to see it7 more marking schemes are on this page. A free account opens all of them, and lets you build your own paper on the topics you have actually taught, laid out in KNEC format with its full marking scheme.
Create a free account