WAEC Islamic Studies 2016 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2016 WAEC Islamic Studies paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 49 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Islamic Studies 2016 questions and answers

1. 1.The "Qurayah" in chapter 106 of the Qur'an refers to the prophet's
   1. A
      tribe
      Correct
   2. B
      clan
   3. C
      enemies
   4. D
      companions
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   Answer: A

   Surah Quraysh (chapter 106 of the Qur'an) is named after the Quraysh, who were the tribe of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) — the leading and most honoured tribe of Makkah, who controlled the Ka'aba and the trade routes of Arabia.

2. 2.Which of the following lessons can be derived from the battle of Badr?
   1. A
      A leader should decide on war strategy alone without consulting his companions
   2. B
      Prisoners of war should be dealt with harshly to frighten the enemy
   3. C
      Victory in battle is decided only by the size and strength of the fighting army
   4. D
      Allah grants victory to sincere believers even when they are fewer in number and poorly equipped
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Background: At the Battle of Badr (2 A.H./624 C.E.), about 313 lightly-armed Muslims faced a far larger and better-equipped Meccan force of roughly 1,000 men, yet the Muslims won. The Qur'an itself draws this lesson out in Suratul 'Ali-'Imran (3:123): "And Allah had already given you victory at Badr while you were few in number." This is the central lesson the WAEC IRK syllabus wants candidates to draw from Badr.

3. 3.La ilaha illa Allah is the declaration of
   1. A
      The Oneness of Allah (Tawhid)
      Correct
   2. B
      The Day of Judgement (Akhirah)
   3. C
      Prophethood (Risalah)
   4. D
      Belief in the unseen (Iman)
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   Answer: A

   La ilaha illa Allah means "There is no god worthy of worship except Allah." This is exactly the first half of the Kalimat Shahada (the declaration of faith), and it is the clause that declares Tawhid — the Oneness and Unity of Allah.

4. 4.Explain the arrangement of the Qur'an with emphasis on Makkan and Madinan suwar.
   1. A
      The suwar are arranged according to subject matter, with all the suwar dealing with law and worship grouped together
   2. B
      The suwar are arranged in the exact chronological order in which they were revealed, starting with the Makkan suwar
   3. C
      The suwar are arranged mainly from the longest to the shortest, so several Madinan suwar come before Makkan suwar even though the Makkan ones were revealed earlier
      Correct
   4. D
      The suwar are arranged alphabetically according to the Arabic titles given to them
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   Answer: C

   The suwar of the Qur'an are not arranged in the order they were revealed. They are arranged mainly by length, running roughly from the longest suwar to the shortest, and this arrangement was fixed under Caliph Uthman's committee (led by Zaid bn Thabit) when the suwar were gathered into one Mushaf.

5. 5.The batte of Khandaq is so called because
   1. A
      it was fought in a valley called Khandaq near Makkah
   2. B
      the Muslims took refuge in tunnels dug beneath the city walls
   3. C
      a trench was dug round Madinah to stop the confederate army's cavalry from attacking
      Correct
   4. D
      the enemy forces dug a trench to trap the Muslim army inside Madinah
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   Answer: C

   The battle of Khandaq (also called Ghazwatul Ahzab, the Battle of the Confederates) took place in 5 AH when the Quraysh of Makkah united with the Ghatafan and other allied tribes to lay siege to Madinah.

6. 6.The fourth source of shari'ah is
   1. A
      Ijtihad
   2. B
      Ijma'
   3. C
      Qiyas
      Correct
   4. D
      Sunnah
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   Answer: C

   Qiyas (analogical reasoning) is correct.

   In Islamic jurisprudence, the sources of Shari'ah are studied in a fixed order of authority:

   1. The Qur'an – the primary and highest source.
   2. The Sunnah (the sayings, actions and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him) – the second source, explaining and complementing the Qur'an.
   3. Ijma' (the consensus of qualified Muslim scholars/jurists on a matter not explicitly settled by the Qur'an or Sunnah) – the third source.
   4. Qiyas (analogical deduction, where a new case is judged by comparing it to a similar case already settled by the Qur'an, Sunnah or Ijma') – the fourth source.

7. 7.The following can be deducted from al-fathah except that is
   1. A
      The Five Pillars of Islam
      Correct
   2. B
      The Oneness of Allah (Tawhiid)
   3. C
      The Mercy of Allah
   4. D
      The Day of Judgement
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   Answer: A

   Suratul-Fatihah is only seven verses long, but it carries several core beliefs of Islam within those verses, which is why it is recited in every unit (rak'ah) of the five daily prayers and is often called a summary of the Qur'an.

   So the correct choice is the one that falls outside what the surah's own words actually say: the Five Pillars of Islam.

8. 8.The first revelation to prophet can be found in saratul
   1. A
      Suratul Muddathir
   2. B
      Suratul Alaq
      Correct
   3. C
      Suratul Qalam
   4. D
      Suratul Fatiha
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   Answer: B

   Suratul Alaq is correct. According to the authentic account of the beginning of revelation, Angel Jibril (Gabriel) appeared to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in the cave of Hira and commanded him to recite, bringing down the first five verses of Suratul Alaq, beginning with "Iqra bismi Rabbikal-ladhi khalaq" (Read in the name of your Lord who created). This is why Suratul Alaq is known as the chapter of the first revelation.

9. 9.Clarification on Quranic verses s achieved through
   1. A
      Tafsir
      Correct
   2. B
      Hadith
   3. C
      Tajweed
   4. D
      Qira'ah
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   Answer: A

   Tafsir is correct. The word "Tafsir" literally means explanation or clarification, and it is the branch of Islamic scholarship devoted entirely to explaining the meaning of Qur'anic verses — looking at the context of revelation, the Arabic wording, and the rulings or lessons contained in each verse.

   So when a question asks what achieves clarification of Qur'anic verses, the direct answer is the discipline whose very name means "explanation": Tafsir.

10. 10.The jurist who made Tasawwuf compatible with the Shari'ah was
    1. A
       Imam Malik bin Anas
    2. B
       Imam Al-Ghazali
       Correct
    3. C
       Imam Abu Hanifah
    4. D
       Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal
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    Answer: B

    Imam Al-Ghazali (Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali) is the jurist and scholar credited with reconciling Tasawwuf (Sufism) with the Shari'ah.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

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