The Nature of Good (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

What is “good”?

• Good refers to that which is considered morally right, beneficial and advantageous

• The word is interpreted differently by different people

• What people consider to be “good” can depend on their values, beliefs and culture 

• Generally, the word “good” is used for things that are not evil or bad, such as:

  • Caring for others

  • Helping others

  • Showing compassion to others

• There is a question over whether people are “‘good” or whether it is only their actions that are good

  • Many people say that being “good” is not necessarily part of a person

  • Goodness comes from their conscience, and they use their free will to perform good deeds

Christian attitudes to good

• God gave humans free will, so people can choose to do good or evil

• The story of the Fall, where Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3), explains how wrongdoing entered the world and why people sometimes choose evil

• God provides guidance on how to live a good life through the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20), which teach principles such as:

  • Honouring parents

  • Not stealing

  • Not lying

  • Not committing adultery

  • Not committing murder

• Christians also follow the teachings and example of Jesus to understand how to live a good life

• Jesus taught the importance of love, saying that the most important commandments were to love God and:

• The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) contains detailed guidance on how to live a good life, showing qualities such as humility, mercy and peacemaking

• Christianity emphasises moral qualities such as compassion, kindness, tolerance and love. Christians see it as their duty to practise these

Muslim attitudes to good

• Muslims believe every person is born with fitrah, a natural awareness of right and wrong

• Muslims have free will, so they must choose between following Allah’s guidance or giving in to temptation from Shaytan (Satan)

  • In the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) final sermon, Muslims are warned to stay alert to Shaytan’s influence, especially in the small, everyday choices they make

• Islam teaches that true goodness requires both belief and action

  • The Qur’an frequently describes true believers as “those who believe and do good deeds”

• Good actions include qualities taught by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), such as:

  • Truthfulness

  • Kindness

  • Patience

  • Humility

• Muslims show goodness in practical ways, including giving sadaqah (voluntary charity) to help others

• On the Day of Judgment, each person will be judged fairly by Allah based on:

  • Their faith

  • Their intentions

  • Their actions

• Allah is believed to be both just and merciful, so he will treat sincere believers who try to do good with compassion

  • Those who have faith in Allah and perform good deeds will be eternally rewarded in paradise

• Although Muslims can choose their actions, many also believe in Al-Qadr (God’s knowledge and control of all things), meaning Allah is aware of and oversees everything that happens