Why is Islamiyat included in css?

As far as I think to judge ones study about the basic of Islamic techings, the Value of Islam as a Deen and the status of human in Islam.
The course is generally based on the status of human and relation of Human with Allah, Islam a religion or Deen, comparison with other religions, Basic Beliefs i.e. (Tauheed, Risalath, books, Angels, Akhirath), Basic Ibadath known as the pillars of Islam (Nimaz Roza, Hujj, Zakath, Jihad), Status of woman (as woman, mother, wife, daughter etc.) the systems (political ,social, economic, judicial etc.)and above all the sources of Shariah both primary (Quran, Hadith, Ijma) and secondary (Analogy, Ijthihad, Customs and Usages, Istinah, Istidlal, Taqleed, Different Schools of thoughts).

Islamiyat In Urdu or English

My own findings ...
In Islamiyat FPSC offers a choice to attempt paper in English or Urdu. It depends upon the candidate to choose. But I think it depends upon the student his expression and his memory.

A student like me who has weak expression specially in Urdu, Weak memory in memorising Ayahs and Hadiths and specially a few Prose from Urdu Poetry related to the topics, should opt for English. but those who have strong memory and good Urdu writing speed should opt in Urdu caz it is easy to remember and express your Ideas in Urdu. Similarly if your paper is well decorated with Ayahs, Ahadees and a few Ashar it gives good reward.
So selecteing whether to opt in english or urdu one should judge his capabilities. If he wants to just go through the paper and is weak in the related fields as is discuused in how to get good marks in Islamiyat should opt in english otherwise Urdu is a best option.

Views of Ahmad Bilal Khan (One of our old Forum Fellows)
a person must keep the following three things in mind before reaching a decision whether to opt it in Urdu or English.
1. Islamiyat is a subject which a Pakistani Muslim starts reading from the class-1 and continues uptil his degree level. So the important question is: what was his major medium in studies? that is whether he was a student of English medium or Urdu. If he had been studying this subject for the past 14 years in Urdu and this time he decides to go for it in English or vice versa, that can be a problem for him.
2. What sort of grasp he has on some language. The grasp over language is of pivotal importance. If he thinks his Urdu is very good(regardless of the fact how good he is at English which he certainly can be(very good) as he is taking 11 subjects in English)he should go for Urdu. Because to me the best impression a candidate could impart on the checkers mind is going via Urdu if the pre-requisites are fulfilled. Especially when one comes to Islamiyat in particular. But again the best expression he has is the best he could give.
3. Islamiyat is a subject which we read, understand, and talk about almost everyday but even then we need some healthy source to prepare from. If he is equally good at both expression and fluency with the pen, he should also ponder the need of better sources available for him in the market.

Views of DDG (CSP)
there ia another stronger factor favoring any candidate to attempt this paper in Urdu. We, as Pakistani Muslims, have been socialized and relgiously trained in Urdu. That makes the Urdu terminologies much more familiar and frequently-heard-of. This can, in turns, boost your speed during the paper by allowing a regular flow of thoughts without continuity hickkups. This can further save time and ensure that you provide more material to the examiner to access your knowledge.

However, in case an individual is not confident about his Urdu experssion, it is recommended that he should go for English language while attempting Islamiat.

How to get good Marks

Islamiyat is a technical paper and one can get even upto 75% marks easily. It needs a bit of memory and technique.... One of my colligue humera (usually comes to this forum) secured arround 75 marks in this paper in 2001 exams. We will be glad if she gives her findings to us.

My findings are....

1. paper should be well decorated with ayaths, hadiths and ashaars related to the topic. Atleast three per page.
2. Write as lenghthy as you can and discuss all related items in a question.
3. Be a true Mulla and never use any word which can give an expression of liberalism.
4. Attempt the best question first. and second best the last.
5. Give heasdings if possible and use colour markers of a change colour pen (allowed by FPSC) for Ahadiths, ayaths, Ashars and headings to make them prominent.
6. Try to attempt all the required question in full. For this you can cut down your questions specially that you attempt on second, third, and fourth number but do not compromise on first essay type and last essay type question (excluding The Sura) regarding length.
7. Try to write as bigger words as you can so that your hand writting is clear and readable.

Books For Islamiyat

In English

Towards Islamiyat by SM Shahid
Islamiyat by Doggar Sons
For last ten Suras Any good Tafseer

In URdu
Islami Nazriya i hayath by Professor Khursheed Ahmad
for ten Suras Any Tafseer better is that of Maududi Sahab but u have to squeez it a lot.
Beside that articles on Islamic topics in on Friday in Daily Dawn and I think also in The News.

Common mistakes in Islamiyat Paper

1. attempting 5 questions... It is usually a pattern in all papers to attempt 5 questions in all but in Islamiyat one has to attempt 6 in all. this misleads some people and they just attempt only 5. So be careful in this paper
2. those who attempt in English use the word GOD avoid this and Use the word ALLAH.
3. Students who can explain the Ayaths or hadiths in their own words but do not remember the exect words avoid this but my suggestion is to write the Hadith or ayath in your own words if you do not remember the exect words and at the end write in ()s Abstract from Quran or hadith as the case may be.
4. Never show that you are of liberal thoughts. The papers are checked by ordinary Islamiyat teachers who are of very fundamantalist thinking
5. Avoid criticising any school of thought. You don't know one who is going to chk the paper
6. Always use the word DEEN for Islam and not religion. Always concentrate on this that Islam is a DEEN and eleborate it time and again.
7. Read the question carefully and give start and ending related to the question. A start and end with hadith, ayath or a Shaeer is best

How to Prepare for the paper

here are my findings regarding how to prepare for the Islamiyat paper...
Subjective questions....
Devide your course in following parts..

1. (Question 1)including...
Need of Religion, Status of man, sources of knowledge, comparison of religions with Islam and all that is before Basic beliefs.

2. (Question 2) including...
Basic beliefs (Tauheed, Risalath, angels, books and Akhirath)
Thoroughly prepare Tauheed, Risalath and Akhirath. Chk the last two years paper and you will get the queswtion that will be in the next paper.

3. (Question 3)
Pillars of Islam (Nimaz, Roza, Hajj, Zakat, Jihad)
Chk last papers and you can easily find the question in the comming paper... (Zakath was in last year paper so it had its chance... This time Jihad and Roza are most important though others cannot be taken out of the list.

4. Question 4..
Woman her status and duties including responcibilities

5. Question 5....
Sources of shariah (Primary Quran, hadith and Ijma) secondary (Ijthihad, Analogy, Istidlal, Istisnah, fatwa, Customs and usages, Taqleed)...

6. Question 6.
Systems (political, social, economic, judicial etc)

7. general Question
related to Islamic world in the present scenirio.
get last years paper... prepare a few questions in the form of notes and collect as many ayaths and ahadiths as you can...

memorise these and reproduce these ayaths and ahadiths to the best... atleast 2 to 3 per page...

Go through the last 3 to 4 years papers and you can easily calculate the questions and trend of the paper..

How to Attempt

It is your expression and presentation that fetch you good marks... In Islamiyat it is the decoration of your paper that makes what you want...
How to arrange a question....
Always start from a hadith, Sura or a saying of a renowned scholer.... If started from hadith or Ayah... try to remain in this and try to explain this ayath and hadith in relation with the question.... Try to insert another Ayath or hadith after explaining the previous hadith in a para or 2. and keep with the Ayath or hadith as the case may be...
try to write with great speed and blacken as much papers as you can.... but keep youe eyes on the watch.... Do not sacrifice one question at the cost of other...

Yahya Akhunzada