▁were ▁called ▁d h imm is . ▁They ▁were ▁given ▁a ▁leg ally ▁protected ▁status ▁as ▁second - class ▁citizens ▁as ▁long ▁as ▁they ▁accepted ▁and ▁acknowled ged ▁the ▁political ▁supre m acy ▁of ▁the ▁r uling ▁Muslim s , ▁i . e . ▁paid ▁a ▁tax , ▁known ▁as ▁j iz ya , ▁which ▁the ▁Muslim s ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁to ▁pay , ▁who ▁would ▁instead ▁pay ▁the ▁zak at ▁tax . ▁If ▁they ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam ▁they ▁would ▁ce ase ▁pay ing ▁j iz ya ▁and ▁would ▁instead ▁pay ▁zak at . ▁ ▁Christians ▁and ▁Jews ▁still ▁continued ▁to ▁produce ▁great ▁the ological ▁think ers ▁within ▁their ▁communities , ▁but ▁as ▁time ▁wore ▁on , ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁intellect uals ▁converted ▁to ▁Islam , ▁leading ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁great ▁think ers ▁in ▁the ▁non - Mus lim ▁communities . ▁Import ant ▁Christian ▁writers ▁from ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁period ▁include ▁the ▁the olog ian ▁John ▁of ▁Dam asc us ▁and ▁bishop ▁Cos mas ▁of ▁Mai uma . ▁ ▁Although ▁non - Mus lim s ▁could ▁not ▁hold ▁the ▁highest ▁public ▁offices ▁in ▁the ▁emp ire , ▁they ▁held ▁many ▁b ureau cr atic ▁positions ▁within ▁the ▁government . ▁An ▁important ▁example ▁of ▁Christian ▁employ ment ▁in ▁the ▁Um ay y ad ▁government ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁Sar j un ▁ibn ▁Mans ur . ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁Mel k ite ▁Christian ▁official ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁Um ay y ad ▁C ali ph ate . ▁The ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁prominent ▁By z