ing ▁By z antine ▁Empire . ▁They ▁also ▁re arr anged ▁the ▁balance ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁Muslim ▁world ▁as ▁Egypt ▁once ▁again ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁power . ▁ ▁Islam ic ▁culture ▁and ▁science ▁ ▁Religion ▁always ▁played ▁a ▁pre val ent ▁role ▁in ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁culture , ▁affect ing ▁learning , ▁architecture , ▁and ▁the ▁e bb ▁and ▁flow ▁of ▁cult ures . ▁When ▁Muhammad ▁introduced ▁Islam , ▁it ▁jump - start ed ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁culture , ▁insp iring ▁achiev ements ▁in ▁architecture , ▁the ▁rev ival ▁of ▁old ▁adv ances ▁in ▁science ▁and ▁technology , ▁and ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁distinct ▁way ▁of ▁life . ▁Islam ▁primarily ▁consisted ▁of ▁the ▁five ▁pill ars ▁of ▁belief , ▁including ▁conf ession ▁of ▁faith , ▁the ▁five ▁pray ers ▁a ▁day , ▁to ▁fast ▁during ▁the ▁holy ▁month ▁of ▁Ram ad an , ▁to ▁pay ▁the ▁tax ▁for ▁char ity ▁( the ▁zak ā t ), ▁and ▁the ▁ha j j , ▁or ▁the ▁pil gr image ▁that ▁a ▁Muslim ▁needed ▁to ▁take ▁at ▁least ▁once ▁in ▁their ▁lifetime , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁five ▁( or ▁six ) ▁pill ars ▁of ▁Islam . ▁Islam ▁also ▁created ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁spect ac ular ly ▁built ▁mos ques ▁which ▁created ▁a ▁distinct ▁form ▁of ▁architecture . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁more ▁magnific ent ▁mos ques ▁include ▁the ▁Al - A q sa ▁Mos que ▁and ▁the ▁former ▁Mos que ▁of ▁Cord oba . ▁Islam ▁un ified ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁helped ▁the ▁emp ires ▁there