Take our quiz to find out what your revision personality is! >>

gcse aqa a RS 2023

I'm very worried about the 12 markers and the timings. what mark would you give this essay?

"the Friday prayer is more important than the daily prayers." evaluate the statement.

Jummah is the Friday prayer held in congregation, led by an imam after a Khutbah. So, is it more important than the daily prayers?

Some Muslims may agree with the statement as the Friday prayer unites the Muslim community so they can support each other. The Khutbah's topic is chosen by the imam on what he believes the community needs to hear. This reinforces a Muslim's faith and helps them gain more taqwa, making the Jummah prayer beneficial for Muslims and presenting the statement to be somewhat valid.
Moreover, the Jummah prayer is obligatory for men. In the Quran, it states "..hasten towards the remembrance of Allah and leave of all business" to gain the bounty of Allah. This shows how Allah values the Friday prayer and is willing to reward those participating and following his command, so clearly it is very important.

On the other hand, some Muslims may disagree and say the 5 daily prayers are more important. This is because it has no exception unlike the Jummah prayer, where women don't have to attend. Also, its the first thing Allah asks about in the afterlife (not the Friday prayer) so clearly Allah values the daily salah more and so should Muslims, disproving the statement.
Furthermore, some Muslims mays say the daily prayer are more genuine since they're usually done in private. This is because those prayers are less robotic and more personal because worshippers are not just blindly following an Imam. The Quran states "woe to those who are unmindful of their prayer" showing how important it is to pray for yourself, not to show off to others. Public worship like the Jummah blurs the line between genuine prayer and praying for the sake of others, so it can't be more important than daily prayers if it risks their prayer not being accepted, refuting the statement.

Ultimately, the agree side is weaker since Allah asks about the daily prayers first not Jummah, so those should be a greater priority. The disagree side is more persuading as the 5 daily prayers have no exceptions unlike the Jummah prayer so overall I disagree with the statement.

Reply 1

Krytaks

Hi, I would give your essay 12 marks as you have successfully implemented your quotes and have explained them well, and finished with a well-written conclusion.