WAEC Islamic Studies 2021 past questions

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

Ten questions from the 2021 WAEC Islamic Studies paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 48 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Islamic Studies 2021 questions and answers

1. 1.The total number of rak'ah in Zuhr'Asr an Isha is
   1. A
      11
   2. B
      9
   3. C
      14
   4. D
      12
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Zuhr, Asr and Isha are each four-rak'ah fard (obligatory) prayers.

   Zuhr = 4 rak'ah
   Asr = 4 rak'ah
   Isha = 4 rak'ah

   Adding these together: 4 + 4 + 4 = 12 rak'ah in total.

2. 2.Malik yawmid-Din translated as
   1. A
      Master of the Day of Judgement
      Correct
   2. B
      All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the worlds
   3. C
      You alone do we worship, and You alone we ask for help
   4. D
      The Beneficent, the Most Merciful
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   Answer: A

   This is verse 4 of Suratul-Fatiha. Malik yawmid-Din translates as "Master of the Day of Judgement" (also rendered "Owner/King of the Day of Recompense") — the verse where Allah is described as the One who alone holds absolute authority on the Day everyone will be judged for their deeds.

3. 3.Tayammum is performed by muslims when
   1. A
      a Muslim wakes up from sleep
   2. B
      water is not available or cannot be used
      Correct
   3. C
      it is time for the Friday (Jumu'ah) prayer
   4. D
      a Muslim has eaten a heavy meal
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   Answer: B

   Tayammum is dry ablution — purification using clean sand or dust instead of water. It is performed when water is not available, or when water is available but cannot be used, for example because of illness, extreme cold with no means of warming it, or genuine scarcity while travelling. The Qur'an (Suratul-Ma'idah 5:6) explicitly permits this substitution "if ye find no water."

4. 4.The following nullifies an islamic marriage if not fulfilled except
   1. A
      Consent of the bride and groom
   2. B
      Walimah (the wedding feast)
      Correct
   3. C
      Presence of the wali (guardian)
   4. D
      Presence of witnesses (shuhud)
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   Answer: B

   In Islamic law, a marriage (nikah) is only valid when certain essential conditions (arkan) are met. These include:

   Consent of the bride and groom — without free consent (ijab and qabul, offer and acceptance), the contract is void.
   Presence of the wali (guardian) — the bride's guardian must give her away in marriage; a marriage contracted without a wali is invalid.
   Presence of witnesses (shuhud) — at least two witnesses must be present at the contract; without them the marriage is not valid.

   Walimah, however, is the wedding feast held to announce and celebrate the marriage. It is only a Sunnah (a recommended practice), not a pillar of the contract. A couple who have already fulfilled consent, wali and witnesses are validly married even if no walimah is ever held. This is why walimah is the correct answer — it is the one item that does not nullify the marriage if left unfulfilled, unlike the other three which are compulsory conditions for validity.

5. 5.Highlight the terms of the treaty of Hudaybiyyah
   1. A
      The treaty fixed a truce of twenty-five years, during which both the Muslims and the Quraysh would jointly defend Mecca from outside attack
   2. B
      Any Muslim who fled to join the Quraysh would be sent back to Madinah, while any Meccan who joined the Muslims without his guardian's consent would be allowed to stay
   3. C
      The Muslims would enter Mecca that same year fully armed to perform the lesser pilgrimage before returning to Madinah
   4. D
      There would be no war between the Muslims and the Quraysh for ten years, and either side could enter into alliance with any tribe it chose
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was signed in the 6th year after Hijrah (628 CE) between the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and the Quraysh of Mecca, after the Muslims had set out for pilgrimage but were stopped at Hudaybiyyah.

6. 6.The main reason of transport used by the Arabs in the desert was
   1. A
      Camel
      Correct
   2. B
      Mule
   3. C
      Donkey
   4. D
      Horse
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   Answer: A

   In the history of the Arabs before and during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the camel was the main means of transport in the desert.

7. 7.A complete prayer ends with a
   1. A
      Ruku' (bowing)
   2. B
      Sujud (prostration)
   3. C
      Takbir (opening declaration)
   4. D
      Taslim (salutation)
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Taslim (salutation) is correct. In Islamic worship, every complete and valid Salat (prayer) must be closed with the Taslim - the worshipper turns the head first to the right and then to the left, saying "As-salamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah" (Peace and the mercy of Allah be upon you). This act formally ends the prayer; without it, the prayer is considered incomplete.

   So the correct teaching point is: Salat opens with Takbir and closes with Taslim.

8. 8.The following are classification of Hadith excepts
   1. A
      Da'if
   2. B
      Hasan
   3. C
      Sahih
   4. D
      Isnad
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Isnad is not a classification of Hadith — it is one of the two parts that make up every Hadith (the other being the Matn, the actual text/content). The Isnad is simply the chain of narrators that carried the report back to the Prophet (S.A.W). It tells you how a Hadith was transmitted; it is not, by itself, a category of Hadith.

9. 9.One of the issues discussed in Hadith 18 of an-Nawan is about
   1. A
      The pillars of Islam
   2. B
      The virtue of patience (sabr) in hardship
   3. C
      Repentance: wiping out a bad deed by following it with a good one
      Correct
   4. D
      The merit of seeking Islamic knowledge
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   Answer: C

   Hadith 18 of Imam an-Nawawi's collection (narrated by Abu Dharr and Mu'adh ibn Jabal, graded hasan by at-Tirmidhi) states: "Have taqwa of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people."

10. 10.Muhammad (SAW) was referred to as al-Amin because he was
    1. A
       Honest and trustworthy in his dealings, so even his enemies left their valuables in his safekeeping
       Correct
    2. B
       The most eloquent and persuasive speaker among the Quraysh
    3. C
       The wealthiest merchant in Makkah before his prophethood
    4. D
       The bravest warrior among the clans of Makkah
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    Answer: A

    Al-Amin means "the Trustworthy One." Long before he received revelation, Muhammad (SAW) earned this title from the people of Makkah — including those who later opposed him — because of his honesty in trade and his reliability in keeping what was entrusted to him. It became so well known that even his bitterest enemies among the Quraysh continued to deposit their valuables with him for safekeeping, confident they would never be cheated.

    So the correct reasoning is simple: al-Amin = trustworthy and honest in dealings, which is exactly what made people, friend or foe, rely on him.

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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