Final answer:
The Jewish community flourished in Islamic Spain, especially during the Caliphate of Córdoba, enjoying the protected status and contributing to cultural and intellectual advancements. The period of convivencia highlights the coexistence of different faiths in the Iberian Peninsula. However, the fall of Muslim rule led to a decline in religious tolerance, heavily affecting the Jewish population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The religious group besides Islam that enjoyed a thriving culture in Islamic Spain was the Jews. In Al-Andalus, under the Islamic rule, a rich culture of Jewish life flourished, paralleling the society's advancements and prosperity. Especially during the time of the Caliphate of Córdoba, Jews, along with Christians, were considered "people of the book" and were granted a protected status, which allowed them to enjoy relative freedom in practicing their religion and contributing to the intellectual and cultural life of the era. They engaged in various fields such as philosophy, medicine, and poetry, leaving a lasting impact on the region's history.
Moreover, the period known as convivencia denotes the coexistence of Muslims, Christians, and Jews in Iberia, albeit within a religious and social hierarchy. While convivencia is often celebrated as an example of religious tolerance, it is important to recognize that the extent of this tolerance varied and at times was fragile, depending on the prevailing political and social circumstances. The eventual downfall of the Muslim rule in Spain significantly affected the Jewish community, which faced expulsion or forced conversion particularly after 1492 when the last Muslim kingdom fell and Christian rulers sought to enforce a homogeneous Catholic identity.