Islam vs Byzantine Empire Laws, Rules, and Customs- Ruby Claire

Ruby Claire Jones

D Block

12/12/16

Islam vs. Byzantine Empire Laws, Rules, and Customs

When the Byzantine Empire was in power and Islam was a very important religion some people did not realize how similar they were and their differences. Byzantium was in Constantinople and Islam was very big throughout the middle east. When comparing Islam versus Byzantine the focus on their laws, rules, and customs are very important. The five pillars of islam and the ten commandments are the most important laws and rules of each religion.

Islam’s five pillars are the basis of the religion. The five pillars are: Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, and Hajj. The Shahadah is the first pillar, it is reciting the Muslim profession of faith. It says, “La illaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah” the meaning of it is there is only one true god and that Muhammad is the messenger of god. Shahadah is the most important pillar of faith. Salat the second pillar is when Muslims perform the ritual prayers five times a day.  The prayers are a link between the person praying and god, they are performed at dawn, noon, the middle of the afternoon, sunset, and night. The prayers can be performed everywhere, like homes, offices and universities. Zakat is the third pillar when Muslims pay charity tax to benefit the needy.  The reason for Zakat is that they believe that everything belongs to god and that wealth was given to human beings from god with trust. The Muslims also believe that giving Zakat purifies their possessions. The fourth pillar, Sawm is fasting during the month of Ramadan. Every year in the month of Ramadan Muslims fast from dawn till sundown abstaining from food and drink. Sawm is regarded as a method of spiritual self purification by gaining sympathy for those who do not get to eat. At the end of Ramadan they have a feast called Eid al-Fitr. The last pillar, Hajj is the annual pilgrimage to mecca, mecca is located in Saudi Arabia It is an obligation for muslims that are able to go. Two million muslims come each year and it is always performed during the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. The muslims that participate all wear the same clothing to stand as equals before Allah. The Kaaba is what the muslims bow to when they are there and it is located in the center of the mosque, and it was built by the prophet Abraham’s son, Ishmael (What are the Five Pillars?).The five pillars are the most important rules of Islam and are the basis for all the followers of the religion.

In the Byzantine empire the religion that all the civilians believed was Christianity. The empire was split up into two branches of Christianity, Orthodox and Catholicism. The main rules of Christianity are the ten commandments (ABC Clio, Skira). The ten commandments are: I am the lord your god, Thou shalt bring no false idols before me, Do not take the name of the Lord in vain, Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, Honor thy father and thy mother, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness against your neighbor, and Thou shalt not covet your neighbor's wife. The ten commandments are believed to be written by God when moses went up on a mountain to talk to him (KJV Exodus 20: 1-17). In the orthodox church and the catholic church the ten commandments are the same, they are the main laws of christianity. All Christians believe in the ten commandments and follow them. The commandments form lifestyles of many christians.

The five pillars of Islam and the ten commandments of Christianity have more in common than most people would think. In the first pillar, Shahadah the prayer mentions that there is only one god, Allah. In the first and second commandments it states that god is the lord your god and that you should not bring false idols before god. They both mean that there is only one god that the followers of each religion should follow, and there is only one god in each religion. In Islam it is required to go to mecca at least once in your lifetime, and there is no required trip in Christianity. Also Muslims are required to give Zakat, a form of charity, in their religion. Christians are not required to give a portion of their income to charity, it may be suggested by their church. In christianity the ten commandment never say to pray or worship God, unlike in the five pillar where the Muslims are required to pray five times a day to Allah. The differences between the rules of Islam and Christianity are few and they are more similar than most people would think.

Islam and christianity have very similar, but at the same time very different laws and rules of each religion. In the Byzantine Empire Christianity was very important in the lives of the civilians and in the middle east Islam’s rules were very important to their daily lives. Most do not realize the similarities in the two religions laws and rules they follow. Learning about the differences and similarities in Islam and Christianity helps you understand the religions better. The laws and rules of each religion are very important to everyone around the world that follows these religions.

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