This is my DBQ for an essay

The Islamic and Christian religions differed on their views of merchants tell about 1500 C.E. As time crept by people of the Christian religion changed their views and became almost identical to the Islamic view that didn’t really change over time.

From the beginning people of the Christian religion looked down upon people who were wealthy. “…a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven… it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God“(document 1). If you became wealthy of marketing you were not going to heaven. In early times people of the Islam religion thought that it was ok to be a merchant as long as it was done rightfully. “Woe to the cheaters” (document 2)! “On the day of judgment, the honest, truthful Muslim merchant will take rank with the martyrs of the faith” (document 2).

As time changed Christianity started to accept merchants. Of course this colleague of St. Godric (a twelfth-century British merchant) is going to support merchants and will have a bias opinion. “Wherefore, that he might follow Christ the more freely, he sold all his possessions and distributed them among the poor” (document 3). As long as the merchant uses his power in a way that god sees as right Christians accepted merchants. There letters from the merchants of document six are going to support merchants just because of the fact that they are merchants but never the less they still stress that what they are doing is ok because they are doing it in the of god. “You say you have writ to Venice to remit us 1000 ducatats with which, in the name of God and profit, you would have us buy Costwold wool. With God always before us, we will carry out your bidding. “I answer that it is altogether sinful to have recourse to deceit in order to sell a thing for more that its just price because this is to deceive one’s neighbor so as to injure him” (document 4). Islamic people still view that in order to become a wealthy merchant one needs to be decisive but nevertheless allowed. “Yet most of the methods it [merchants making money] employs are tricks aimed at making a profit by securing the difference between the buying and selling… [religious] Law allows the use of such methods which, although they come under the heading of gambling, yet do not constitute the taking without return of other people’s goods” (document 5). This trickery that people viewed merchants of doing is supported by document 7, “Whenever cotton yarn comes to [town], the aforementioned arrives, pays an extra price, and takes it from its owner, and the other weavers remain deprived” (document 7). Let’s not forget that Muhammad himself, the central figure of the Islamic people, was merchant.

In order to better understand if people of these religions support merchants or not I would need something that said in black and white going one way or the other. Even better would be some kind of quote from the religious book of either of these religions that merchants are evil or something of the sort. If some kind of document can’t be found a graph would help show that out of a lot of people of the same religion showing if or not they support merchants. This kind of document would let me come to a conclusion were I could say that most of people of either religions feel this way about merchants.

Based on the information provided in the DBQ, it can be concluded that the views of the Christian and Islamic religions on merchants differed until around 1500 CE. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of the main points presented in the essay:

1. Christian View:
- From the beginning, Christians looked down upon wealthy individuals.
- They believed that it was difficult for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- Becoming wealthy through marketing was seen as an obstacle to salvation (Document 1).

2. Islamic View:
- In early times, Islam considered it acceptable to be a merchant if conducted honestly.
- Honest and truthful Muslim merchants were believed to be highly regarded in the eyes of God.
- They would be rewarded on the day of judgment, similar to martyrs of the faith (Document 2).

3. Christian Changing Views:
- Over time, Christianity started to accept merchants, as long as they used their wealth in a way that aligned with God's principles.
- The support for merchants is evident in the account of St. Godric, a Christian merchant who sold his possessions and distributed them among the poor to follow Christ more freely (Document 3).
- Letters from other Christian merchants (Document 6) also indicate their acceptance of merchants while emphasizing the need to conduct business ethically and in accordance with God's will.

4. Islamic View Continuity:
- Islamic belief continued to view merchants as acceptable but with an emphasis on fairness and honesty.
- Although some trickery and methods resembling gambling were allowed to make a profit, the use of deceit to harm others was deemed sinful (Documents 4 and 5).
- Some instances of unethical practices by merchants are mentioned in Document 7, highlighting the negative consequences for society.

5. Conclusion:
- The essay suggests the need for further evidence, such as direct quotes from religious texts or statistical data, to determine the extent of support or opposition to merchants within Christianity and Islam.
- A graph comparing the views of a large number of individuals within each religion could potentially provide a clearer understanding of the overall sentiment towards merchants.

Remember that this analysis is solely based on the information provided in the essay. It is important to conduct further research to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.

In order to analyze the views of the Islamic and Christian religions on merchants until 1500 CE, you have referred to various historical documents. These documents provide insights into the changing views of Christianity towards merchants, as well as the consistent Islamic viewpoint on the subject. However, to further support your analysis and come to a conclusion about the majority opinion within each religion, it would be helpful to consider additional sources of information.

One way to gather more evidence would be to search for quotes from religious texts, such as the Bible and the Quran. These texts are considered sacred within Christianity and Islam, respectively, and often contain moral guidelines and teachings that can shed light on the religions' perspectives on merchants. By examining passages from these texts, you may find explicit statements or examples that reflect the views of Christianity and Islam concerning merchants.

Another approach would be to look for historical data or surveys that provide insights into the attitudes of people within these religions. A graph or statistical analysis showing the opinions of a significant number of individuals could be valuable in determining the prevailing views towards merchants in Christianity and Islam. The data could be gathered through surveys, interviews, or historical records documenting the opinions of religious leaders or influential figures within the communities.

By combining the historical documents you already have with additional quotes from religious texts or data from surveys, you can build a comprehensive understanding of the views of Christianity and Islam regarding merchants. This approach would provide a solid basis for drawing conclusions about the similarities and differences between the two religions' attitudes toward merchants until 1500 CE.