Tawbah
12 Grade 9 Religious Education (IRE) questions on Tawbah, with worked marking schemes. 12 questions are available on this topic in full.
Question 1
1 markYusuf commits a sin, then feels genuine remorse, stops the act, and firmly resolves never to return to it. Which essential condition of tawbah is he still expected to fulfil if the sin involved wronging another person?
A. Fasting for sixty consecutive days
B. Performing umrah
C. Reciting the whole Qur'an
D. Returning the right to the person wronged or seeking their pardon
(1 mark)
Marking scheme for this question
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6 marksA Grade 9 boy confides in his teacher that he has been involved in cheating in exams and lying to his parents, and he feels guilty and wants to change. The teacher counsels him about Tawbah (sincere repentance), reminding him of Allah's words: "O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance..." (Q.66:8).
(a) State THREE conditions that must be fulfilled for repentance (Tawbah) to be accepted by Allah. (3 marks)
(b) Explain THREE benefits a Muslim gains from sincere repentance. (3 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) Conditions of sincere Tawbah (any three, and where the sin involves a person's right, a fourth applies): (i) to immediately stop/give up the sin; (ii) to feel genuine remorse/regret for having committed it; (iii) to firmly resolve never to return to that sin; (iv) where the sin involves the rights of others (e.g. cheating, theft), to restore the right or seek forgiveness from the wronged person. (3 marks) (b) Benefits (any three): (i) Allah forgives the sins and may replace bad deeds with good ones (Q.25:70); (ii) it brings the believer inner peace and relief from guilt; (iii) it earns the love of Allah, who "loves those who turn to Him in repentance" (Q.2:222); (iv) it protects the person from punishment in the Hereafter and helps him build a righteous character. (3 marks)
Question 3
1 markOne of the conditions of valid tawbah for a sin between a person and Allah is a firm resolve. What must the repentant person resolve to do?
A. Never to return to the sin
B. To donate all wealth
C. To fast every Monday
D. To perform Hajj immediately
(1 mark)
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1 markWhich of the following BEST reflects the mercy of Allah regarding tawbah?
A. Allah accepts repentance only from prophets
B. Allah accepts repentance only during Ramadan
C. Allah accepts sincere repentance as long as the soul has not reached the throat (death)
D. Allah forgives only minor sins
(1 mark)
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6 marksA young man in Nairobi has been involved in stealing from his employer. He now wishes to repent sincerely. Explain what steps he should take to make his tawbah complete.
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
Up to 6 marks: feel genuine remorse for the sin (1); stop the stealing immediately (1); resolve never to return to it (1); since the sin wronged a person, return the stolen property/money to the employer or seek their forgiveness (2); increase in good deeds and seek Allah's forgiveness (istighfar) (1). Reward well-explained points.
Question 6
1 markA teenager regrets cheating in an exam and wants to repent sincerely. According to Islamic teaching, which combination of conditions makes his Tawbah valid?
A. Only saying “Astaghfirullah” once aloud
B. Sincere regret, stopping the sin immediately, and firm resolve not to return to it (and restoring others' rights if any)
C. Telling everyone publicly about the sin
D. Waiting until old age to repent
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 7
1 markWhat does the Islamic term tawbah mean?
A. Sincere repentance and turning back to Allah
B. Reciting the Qur'an daily
C. Giving charity to the poor
D. Performing the pilgrimage
(1 mark)
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Create a free account to see itQuestion 8
1 markAmina committed a sin in private and now feels deep regret. She wants to make sincere repentance (tawbah nasuha). Apart from regretting and resolving never to return to the sin, what else is an essential condition of her tawbah?
A. Announcing the sin publicly so others can forgive her
B. Immediately stopping the sin
C. Waiting until the next Ramadan to repent
D. Paying money to a religious leader
(1 mark)
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1 markA repentant Muslim replaces bad company with righteous friends and increases in good deeds. This shows that true tawbah is accompanied by:
A. Only verbal apology
B. A genuine change of behaviour
C. Payment of a fine to the mosque
D. Public announcement of the sin
(1 mark)
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3 marksOutline three conditions that must be fulfilled for tawbah from a sin committed against Allah to be accepted.
(3 marks)
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6 marksExplain three benefits that a Muslim gains from making sincere tawbah.
(6 marks)
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6 marksYusuf, a Grade 9 learner, realises he has been cheating in continuous assessment tests and feels deeply guilty. He wants to repent sincerely to Allah.
(a) Explain THREE conditions of a sincere tawbah that Yusuf must fulfil. (3 marks)
(b) Quote ONE teaching of the Prophet (S.A.W.) or the Qur'an that gives Yusuf hope of Allah's forgiveness. (3 marks)
(6 marks)
Marking scheme
(a) Three conditions of sincere tawbah: (i) Giving up the sin immediately (al-iqla') - Yusuf must stop cheating at once. (ii) Feeling genuine regret/remorse (an-nadam) for having done it. (iii) Firm resolve never to return to it in future (al-'azm). (Note: because cheating also wrongs others (teachers/fellow learners), a fourth condition applies - restoring the rights of those wronged and seeking to put things right; accept this as additional credit.) (b) Any ONE with correct sense: Q39:53 - 'Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.' OR Q66:8 - 'O you who believe! Turn to Allah with sincere repentance (tawbatan nasuha).' OR the hadith: 'The one who repents from sin is like one who has no sin' (Sunan Ibn Majah).
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