History of the Middle East balance of power in the Muslim world as Egypt once again emerged as a major power. Religion always played a prevalent role in Middle Eastern culture, affecting learning, architecture, and the ebb and flow of cultures. When Muhammad introduced Islam, it jump-started Middle Eastern culture, inspiring achievements in architecture, the revival of old advances in science and technology, and the formation of a distinct way of life. Islam primarily consisted of the five pillars of belief, including confession of faith, the five prayers a day, to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, to pay the tax for charity (the
Divisions of the world in Islam in this discipline and later Shafi'i. The concept of "dar al-harb" has been affected by the political fragmentation of the Muslim world and has little significance today. Dar al-Islam ( literally "house/abode of Islam"; or Dar as-Salam, "house/abode of Peace"; or Dar al-Tawhid, "house/abode of monotheism") is a term used by Muslim scholars to refer to those countries where Muslims can practice their religion as the ruling sect. It is the area of the world under the rule of Islam, literally, "the home of Islam." These are usually Islamic cultures wherein Muslims represent the majority of the population, and so