John Richardson

History

Block G

Religion Influence on Society in Byzantium and Islam

Islam and Christianity had a significant impact on the formation of society in the age of the Byzantine Empire. Like most religions, Christianity had a defensive nature back then. It also consisted of many different denominations, making the religion more competitive on proving which denomination was “correct” in beliefs. Islam had five essential concepts or ideas that they called the five pillars. (Whitters). This shaped the religion to be more straightforward. In turn, Islam had controversies with other religions and not within their own. In the end, both religions caused society to strongly defend what they believed.

Islam and Byzantine had run-ins with each other during the Muslim Conquests. Byzantium and Persia were weak from fighting each other in a war, so the muslims took advantage of this. They started taking over land all around them. Byzantium was included. The muslims did manage to take some of the Byzantine Empire, but Byzantium held their own. The conquest for the muslims made their religion into an empire. (Sandler) In Islamic states, women were said to be spiritually equal, so this allowed for some loop holes that higher class woman could take to “bend the rules.” (Bardsley) Higher class woman could sometimes get away with with not staying secluded or not wearing veils. Higher class women might not be able to get away with that if muslims did not believe that they were spiritually equal. Another way religion shaped the Islamic society was the five pillars. The first is Shahada or Creed. The second is Salat or Prayer. The third is Zakat or Purification. The fourth is Sawm or Fasting. Finally, the fifth is Hajj or Pilgrimage. Pillars 3-5 have shaped events in society and just society in general. Sawm or Fasting is a sacrificial act of not eating. Zakat or Purification tell people to always give something, even a smile. Pilgrimage is a day where many people gather at a place called Mecca to renew their faith.(Whitters) These are just some of the ways that the Pillars shaped the Islamic society.

The Byzantine Empire’s society was focused around Christianity with multiple denominations in the area. This caused controversy with the Roman Empire. The main religion in the Byzantine Empire was Easter Orthodox, a denomination of Christianity. Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 be and Theodosius made it the official state religion in 380 bc. (Papayianni) The Byzantine Church had frequent arguments with the Roman Church. One in particular argument about people believing icons escalated to the Eastern Orthodox church breaking away from Rome. Byzantine was now a Greek empire. This shows that Byzantium was made more independent by their denomination of christianity.

As already stated, Islam had five main Pillars of their religion that shaped their society. The first was Shahada or Creed. This states that Allah is the only god. This is similar to Christianity's Nicene creed. The first verse reads “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.” (Nicene Creed) Allah translates from Arabic to God, so both creeds in each Islam and Christianity say that people should believe in one god. In Islam, Muhammad is  the profit. This is what separates the two. The Shahada is also much shorter. It whole creed reads “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet.” (Whitters) This is something else that separates Islam from Christianity. The Nicene creed is much longer with over 200 words. This leaves room for different interpretation where as the Islamic creed is straightforward and very clear. This caused the Islamic society to not have as much arguments amongst themselves back in the time of the Byzantine empire.

Society in Islamic states and The Byzantine Empire was greatly shaped by their religion. Islam and Christianity have some similarities. One example is that they are both monotheistic, meaning they believe in one God. However, Islam had less variations in beliefs than Christianity, leading to less civil controversies. Muslims were more unified in their society, whereas the society under Eastern Orthodox had to deal with other denominations along with other religions beliefs. Ultimately, both societies were shaped to fight for what they believed in.

Citation:

Bardsley, Sandy. "Islamic Women: Medieval World." Daily Life through History, ABC-CLIO, 2016, dailylife.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1436056. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Campo, Juan E. “Islam.” Encyclopedia of Islam, Facts On File, 2009, Ancient and Medieval History: Pre-1500, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/218510?q=Islam.

McBeath, Carter. "Jerusalem." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/662702. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Papayianni, Aphrodite. "Byzantine Empire." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1349403. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Sandler, Stanley. "Muslim Conquests." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/600840. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Whitters, Mark F. “Pillars of Islam.” Encyclopedia of the Medieval World: 600 to 1450, Facts On File, 2016, Ancient and Medieval History: Pre-1500, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/215301?q=five pillars of islam.

Jackson Riley

The Byzantine and Islamic Empire were two major empires in history after the fall of Rome.  They are both built upon a religious foundation of Christianity and Islam.  Christianity is a religion where you worship one God and his son has come to earth while Islam also worships one God called Allah, his son however, never came to earth.  Byzantinum was ruled by Justinian and Islam was ruled by Mohammed.  What were the effects of religion on these society's laws and customs?

The islamic law is based off of the five pillars of islam.  The first pillar is called Shahadah and it represents the honest preaching of the Muslim faith, this means that people are sincere about what they believe and to not lie about their religion.  The second pillar is called Salat and it represents the act of prayer in the proper form, five times a day.  The third pillar is called, Zakat which represents charity and tax benefit to the needy, this means that families are required to pay a part of their wealth to charity.  The fourth pillar is named Sawm, which represents Fasting during the month of Ramadan, this is when you cannot eat during a period of time in this case Ramadan.  The fifth pillar is named Hajj which represents Pilgrimage to mecca this means that all muslims must take a trip to Mecca at some point of their life(Tom Sizgorich).  Those are the five pillars that Muslims live by, they were made with words of the Qur’an which is the Islamic Bible.  The laws of the empire is called the Shari’a, this is a chronicle of laws made to govern the empire with direct accordance with the Qur’an, this chronical was made by Caliphates which are the religious leaders of the Empire(Sizgorich).  Crimes in the Islamic Empire were considered sins against Allah and were given severe punishment.  All punishments against criminals are found inside the Shari’a such as stoning, execution, amputation, and lashings.  Criminal procedures followed a judge and trial system, the victim of the crime is put in charge of bringing a claim against the criminal along with evidence for support.  Evidence had to be conclusive in order for the judge to reach a guilty verdict and if the accuser could not bring evidence he could make the defendant swear an oath to Allah that he is innocent, if the defendant swears he is found innocent and if he does not he is found guilty.  Domestic laws are also dealt with a trial but instead of a judge there are Kadis.  Domestic laws are qualified as; violations of religious duties, lawsuits, business disputes, and property disputes.  The setup for domestic trials is the same as the criminal trials except for the Kadis(Origin Islamic Law).  There are more comparisons than differences that the Shari’a and qur’an have.  First off the Shari’a was made using the Five Pillars and the Qur’an and most of the laws described are the same as the ones described in the Qur’an.  Crimes are punished as sins are punished in the Qur’an.  The people who created the Shari’a were caliphates which are descendants of Mohammed the prophet and held a high religious and political status.  For the Islamic Empire religious beliefs played a large role in the making of laws for the community.

The Byzantine Empire’s culture was based around the religion of Christianity.  The church controlled the empire with five patriarchs in charge of the church(Livius).  The text used by the church just like the Qur’an is the Holy Bible which contains testaments of prophets and disciples of God.  There was a set of rules placed for Christians to follow much like the Five Pillars only it’s the Ten Commandments.  The commandments are; have no other God, worship no idols, do not misuse the name of God, keep the sabbath day holy, respect your parents, do not kill, do not commit adultery, don’t steal, do not lie, and lastly do not be envious and love your enemies.  These are the ten rules that Christians are required to follow in relevance with the bible.  The laws of Byzantium was composed in the Justinian Code which was written by Emperor Justinian.  This code is a set of four books that contain the laws that citizens in the kingdom must follow and keep the peace.  Disputes were settled legally in a jurisdiction system, with a trial and judge set in place.  There are two volumes of the Justinian code dedicated to rural and maritime affairs, the Farmer’s Law and Rhodian Sea Law.  The Farmer’s Law would cover pilferage of crops and havoc from wild animals.  Crimes committed in the city have no relation with these volumes however.  If a crime fits under two categories such as abduction, it goes under property and person, these crimes merit a more severe punishment.  The Ecloga is in charge of punishing criminals through financial compensation, imprisonment, or exile for harsh crimes such as rape, stealing, and murder(Rautman).  Most criminal punishments and trials were held by the church due to the fact that the church was the highest power in Byzantium.  The church played a major role in the creation of the Justinian Code because Emperor Justinian transferred most of the power to the church because he believed the church deserved to be the highest power.  In Byzantium religion clearly held the highest position in the empire for the church was the highest political power you could be in.  Because of that religion played a large role in the persecuting of criminals and the law system in general.

Both empires clearly hold religion very high in their eyes and make it their base of everyday life.  Both empires have laws based on the Bible and Qur’an and also have a set of religious rules called the Five Pillars and Ten Commandments.  It seems very clear that these kingdom’s laws were all based off of religious rules and text.  For example the Shari’a does not prevent anyone from being able to perform all Five Pillars in the Islamic Empire and the source for all punishments is from the Qur’an, lastly the political leaders that created the Shari’a were Caliphs which are Successors of Mohammed.  For the Byzantine Empire the church controls the incarceration of criminals along with devising punishments.  Most of the laws inside the Justinian Code are actually parts of the Ten Commandments, such as do not steal and do not commit adultery.  These are some examples of how religion affects the shaping of laws in kingdoms throughout history especially these famous empires.

In conclusion society's laws can be influenced by religion greatly especially if the church holds a lot of political power such as the churches did in Byzantium.  The Islamic and Byzantine Empire are prime examples of this idea due to the fact that their laws are restates of their bibles and the churches there hold the most political power.  This idea of religion playing a major role in development of laws and customs is true, just like the Byzantine and Islamic Empire other kingdoms will be the same way.  This is just how powerful religion can be in societies.

Works Cited

Rautman, Marcus. "Crime and the Law in the Byzantine Empire." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1715866. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Costly, Andrew. "The Origins of Islamic Law." The Origins of Islamic Law - Constitutional Rights Foundation. Constitutional Rights Foundation, 2006. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Editor, Britannica. "Code of Justinian." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2002. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

@ahencyclopedia. "Byzantine Empire." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 2000. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Sizgorich, Tom. "Five Pillars of Islam." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/600867. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Editor, Britannica. "Caliphate." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2002. Web. 12 Dec. 2016.

Jack Schamban

Throughout history, religion has impacted society through architecture. Two religions that have manipulated architecture are Islam and Christianity in the Byzantine empire. Both created edifices which shaped the history of architecture, the Byzantines created the Hagia Sophia, meaning Holy Wisdom (Nancy L. Stockdale, Hagia Sophia) and the Muslims created the Al-Masjid, meaning Holy Mosque (Britannica School, Great Mosque). It is clear, religion has molded architecture.

Built in 532, the Hagia Sophia, located in modern day Istanbul was the most complex architectural structure of its time (M. Joseph Costello Potter, “Hagia Sophia”). This church was built with a combination of two techniques, Central plan and rectangular basilica (M. Joseph Costello Potter, “Hagia Sophia”). The Hagia Sophia, meaning “Holy Wisdom”, is remembered for its arches, domes, and columns (Nancy L. Stockdale, Hagia Sophia). The Hagia Sophia has a dome, which rests on a crown. The crown was then placed upon four arches, which in turn was placed on four curved triangle-like structures. The weight on the north and south sides was absorbed by many arches, while the weight on the east and west sides was absorbed by semi domes (M. Joseph Costello Potter, “Hagia Sophia”). The first room, believers entered in was a 200 foot wide hall, after proceeding past the hall an oval with a width of 225 feet appeared. The oval was 107 feet in length and had a shallow dome, above which was 160 feet above the oval (M. Joseph Costello Potter, “Hagia Sophia”). The Hagia Sophia had many openings within the ceiling to light it during the day, with the additional 40 windows in the ceiling (M. Joseph Costello Potter, “Hagia Sophia”). During night the Hagia Sophia was lit with lamps, which illuminated the gold, silver, bronze, and mosaics. With greek-like pillars, and mortar and stone, the Hagia Sophia’s structure has been imitated, by the Europeans and Muslims, but was never the same (Nancy L. Stockdale, Hagia Sophia).

Located in Mecca, the Al-Masjid surrounds the Ka’bah, the holiest of shrines (Britannica School, Great Mosque). The Al-Masjid consists of a courtyard with multiple covered prayer sites, which are visited to complete the Hajj (Britannica School, Great Mosque). These areas are covered by domes (Britannica School, Great Mosque). The four sites are, station of Abraham, the Hijr which is where Ishmael and Hagar are buried, the Zamzam spring, and the Ka’bah (Juan E. Campo, Kaaba). The section of Abraham, has a stone with Qur’an scripture about rebuilding the Ka’bah Ishmael and Zamzam. The Zamzam spring is located between two hills within the courtyard (Britannica School, Great Mosque). The Hijr is a semicircle wall (Juan E. Campo, Kaaba). The Ka’bah is 50 feet high, 40 feet long, and 30 feet deep. Covering this shrine, is black cloth engraved with Qur’an scripture in gold and silver thread (Juan E. Campo, Kaaba). Lit by lamps, the inside of the Ka’bah is filled with scripture from the Qur’an. To enter the Ka’bah worshippers pass through large, decorated doors (Juan E. Campo, Kaaba). The Al-Masjid  is one of the ancient, architectural treasures of the planet.

The Al-Masjid and Hagia Sophia have similar and different parts to it. Both are similar and different. Each structure has domes, and opening allowing light in. The Al-Masjid has a small portion covered for praying with the vast majority of the courtyard unenclosed. On the other side of the spectrum the Hagia Sophia contains many apertures and windows allowing light to penetrate the building. The style of artwork within the Hagia Sophia is much different than the Al-Masjid. The Hagia Sophia has many mosaics and rooms, while the Al-Masjid contains different praying sites which are in an open area. However, both cultures use precious metals in their structures. The Hagia Sophia using gold, silver, and bronze in its mosaics and artwork, is similar to the Al-Masjid which had gold sings woven into the Ka’bah. However, the main difference between the Hagia Sophia and the Al-Masjid is how each is laid out; the Al-Masjid consist of four main components: the Ka’bah, Zamzam spring, Hijr, and the section of Abraham, while the Hagia Sophia has two main rooms. The Hagia Sophia consists of one main corridor and the epicenter of the building. Both structures are similar, yet different both are unique in their own way.

Each structure has religious and historical value to the world. Even though they are 1,732 miles apart each has affected and molded architecture in the subsequent years. Whether one is the pilgrimage site for muslims or it’s an edifice which was the apex of its time, both are unequaled. Religion created the inspiration for these buildings, and in turn both have molded architecture. The Hagia Sophia and the Al-Masjid are architecturally fascinating structures, which were and still are the pinnacle of human genius.

Works Cited

Campo, Juan E. “Kaaba.” Encyclopedia of Islam, Facts On File, 2009, Ancient and Medieval History: Pre-1500, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/218486?q=Kaaba.

"Great Mosque of Mecca." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 21 Mar. 2012. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/544233. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Potter, M. Joseph Costelloe and Dickenson, Edmund. "Building of Hagia Sophia." Great Events from History: The Middle Ages, 477-1453. Ed. Brian A. Pavlac. Hackensack: Salem, 2004. n. pag. Salem Online. Web. 12 Dec. 2016. <http://online.salempress.com>.

Stockdale, Nancy L. "Hagia Sophia." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016, ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1037449. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Lee Thomas architecture in Islamic and Byzantine empire

Lee Thomas
G Block

Architecture has been a major part in both the Islamic empire and the Byzantine
empire. Each empire has had buildings that stood for something and that meant
something to the people, but with each different civilization came different meanings for
structures whether it be a praise to a god or to man. How did religion impact what
structures stood for? And how did what the building stood for differ from how the other
empire.
In the Islamic culture, early Islamic architecture reflects the experience of the
early Muslim communities of the post-conquest period (Tom Sizgorich). Islamic
communities wanted to be unique in the eyes of the world, and so they used pre
existing architecture styles instead of modern styles (Tom Sizgorich). Many of the
buildings in the Islamic culture express religion above all else. The Mosque, which is a
place to worship Allah, and the Madrasah, a religious school, are two of the highest
religious expressing buildings within the culture. The Muslim people are very religious
so it is no surprise that many of their buildings express Allah and their religion.

The architecture of the Byzantine empire reflected the Roman achievements
(Byzantine arts and architecture). One of these great achievements was the
construction of Hagia Sophia. Hagia Sophia, also known as Church of Holy Wisdom, is
one of the longest lasting churches. During Justinian's reign, riots broke out due to
Justinian’s high taxes, and Hagia Sophia was burned down (Owen Jarus). Once the
riots came to a halt, Hagia Sophia was rebuilt, and stood for the victory of Justinian and
Christianity (Owen Jarus). The Byzantine empire shows that while religion is a main part
of the empire, man achievements are close to, if not on the same level of importance.

The Byzantine empire and the Islamic culture both are very similar in the sense
of religion. While it may not be the same religion, both the Islamic and the Byzantine
people have churches, and other buildings dedicated to their belief. One of the
differences in these two cultures is that Justinian said Hagia Sophia represents his
victory and Christianity, while in the Islamic culture the Mosque was solely dedicated to
Allah. 
Both cultures, Byzantine and Islamic, have their similarities like how many of their
structures were in some way dedicated to their religion. And with similarities comes
differences, like how Islamic buildings were mostly for nothing but their religion, while
Byzantine buildings could be for a leader or Christianity.














Works Cited
"Byzantine art and architecture." infoplease, Columbia University Press,
www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/byzantine-art-architecture-byzantine
architecture.html.
"Islamic Architecture." Britannica, www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-architecture.
Jarus, Owen. "Hagia Sophia: Facts, history & Architecture." Live Science,
www.livescience.com/27574-hagia-sophia.html.
---. "Hagia Sophia: Facts, history & Architecture." Live Science, www.livescience.com/27574
hagia-sophia.html.
Sizgorich, Tom. "Islamic Architecture." World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 2016,
ancienthistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/600825. Accessed 12 Dec. 2016.

Religion- Abby Amis

Islam and Christianity are two of the largest religions in the world today. While at the surface it might like these two religions are vastly different they actually have a lot in common. Both are monotheistic, and both have foundations that lay within the religion of Judaism. Islam and Christianity spread over vast distances, and came in contact with many different cultures. Both religions even have some similar beliefs, though they have some very different beliefs as well. Regardless of the differences Islam and Christianity have a long and fascinating history.

Both the religions of Islam and Christianity had a treacherous beginning. Islam began when a rich merchant by the name of Muhammad claimed that the angel Gabriel came and spoke to him. After this, in 613 AD, Muhammad claimed that he was the final prophet of Allah(Terry), and began to go around Mecca and preach. Muhammad gained many followers, but shortly had to flee to Yathrib which eventually was named Medina. While in Medina Muhammad gained more followers and political power. In 630 AD Muhammad and his followers marched back to Mecca and overtook the city(Terry). Muhammad enjoyed two more years as caliph before he died in 632 AD. After the death of Muhammad Islam split into different factions over who would be the next caliph(Terry). The Sunni believed the next caliph should follow Muhammad’s example, and the Shi’a believed the next caliph should be a descendant of Muhammad. This division in Islam is still occurring today. Christianity began when a man named Jesus began to go around Judea and preach about the word of God. Jesus gained many followers, but the most important were the twelve Apostles. After the crucifixion of Jesus the Apostles continued to preach his teachings and claim that he had risen from the dead because he was the son of God. Eventually Christianity became a widespread religion, and became a popular religion in Rome when Constantine converted. Christianity  prevailed even when Western Rome fell to the Ottomans. All that remained of Rome was Eastern Rome, which quickly became the Byzantine Empire. Due to the cultural development of the Byzantine Empire Christianity in Byzantium began to change. A major example of cultural difference would be that instead of the services being done in Latin, they were done in Greek(Whitters). Due to Muslim conquest the Byzantine Empire became cut off from the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church. After years of lack of communication, cultural differences, and an argument over who should be in charge a great schism between the Catholic Church and the new Greek Orthodox church occurred. The new Greek Orthodox church and Islam continued to spread.

The spread of Islam and Christianity could be attributed to many different ways. Islam spread largely through the conquest of other lands and trade. Due to a well organized military Islamic forces conquered “from Morocco to Central Asia, across three continents”(Flinn). Instead of forcing conversions on the conquered people Islamic forces imposed taxes. Some of the conquered people eventually converted so that they would not have to pay taxes, though some did convert because they liked Islam. Islamic forces even conquered most of the Byzantine empire except Constantinople, which lead to a lack of communication between Byzantine and the Roman Catholic Church. Constantinople “became a Christian island in an Islamic sea”(Tschen). Through all their conquering Islamic forces gained control of the spice trade which lead to contact with many other cultures, and made it so a lot of people came in contact with Islam. Christianity spread through conquest and trade as well they mainly spread through missionaries. An example would be Cyrill and Methodius. Cyrill and Methodius were sent to Bulgaria and Morovia to convert the Slavs. Cyrill and Methodius “greatly innovated religious customs of the church so that the Slavs could more easily accept Christianity”(Whitters) by creating a phonetic alphabet that the Slavs could use. They also allowed them to use their own language in their religious services, which eventually lead to the foundation of Bulgarian, Serbian, and Russian churches.(Whitters). Due to the spread of these two major religions Islam and Christianity have lasted way past their foundation.

Islam and Christianity were both founded out of the same monotheistic Judean belief (Flinn).Both religions believe in the same God, and that he created the universe, sustains the universe, guides all, and judges all(Davis). One major difference between the two religions is Islam believes Jesus is a prophet and not the son of God. They believe that “Muhammad is considered to be the final and most perfect of the prophets. His miracle is the Quran”(Davis). The Quran is the holy book of Islam, but only if it is in the original Arabic. To Muslims the Quran not only carries the sacred word of Allah(Flinn), but also rules to guide their daily life. Contained in the Quran are The Five Pillars of Islam which contain a profession of faith, prayer five times a day, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, and a pilgrimage to Mecca. The holy book for Christianity is the Bible. The Bible contains the Old Testament, which talks about the word of God through prophets like Noah, Abraham, and Moses, and the New Testament, which contains the word of God through Jesus. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all rely on the Old Testament.  Much like Islam Christianity has its own rules for daily life. Those rules are called The Ten Commandments, and according to the Old Testament were given to Moses by God.The customs and beliefs of these two religions has impacted many to this day.

Islam and Christianity have influenced many people since their formation. Their intertwining history is still talked about years later. Through the spreading of Islam and Christianity and through the beliefs and customs, many people from different countries have been brought together . Though there are big differences between the two, there are also more similarities than one would think. Though these differences have driven some Muslims and Christians apart, the similarities bring some together.

Bibliography

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