In document 2, which can be found n the Quern, states that if a Muslim merchant is honest, he will be considered a martyr on the Day of Judgment. The Curran also preaches not to be deceitful in measurements and trading should be on mutual agreement. Whoever doesn’t follow Saran’s teaching will be punished and considered a cheater. The main point that this document conveys is that for merchants to be good Muslims in the eyes of Allah, they must be fair traders.
In document 4 it is stated that no man should sell an item for a higher price than its worth. The main point that this document makes is that merchants should treat there the way they wish to be treated. The main argument that document 4 conveys is that merchants should still follow the Golden Rule of the bible, which is treat others the way one wants to be treated. Document 2 is taken straight out of the Muslim Curran, and was written at around 635 C. E. Muhammad preached this to a community that might have been facing a problem of honesty.
It is important that know that Muhammad said this because he came from a dessert context, where if one didn’t make enough money he and his family would have a hard time surviving due to the unfavorable weather conditions of the desert. The significance that this document poses is that it was taken directly from the Quern, which all Muslims must follow. This means that all the merchants who do not follow the teachings of the Quern will be considered corrupt Muslims.
Next, documents 5, 6, and 7 are related along the common theme that over time, both Christians and Muslims strayed away from the teachings of fair trade. In Document 5, a Muslims scholar writes that the merchants began to practice commerce, which is the practice of buying goods and selling them at a higher price. Overall, this document portrays that how Muslim merchants in the fourteenth century would use religious laws to justify their acts. Document 6 shows the decline in Christian morals as the merchants became more selfish traders.
The letters show the correspondence between merchants and family and how they have became corrupt Christians by trying to make a profit from trade. These letters written by and to Italian merchants in the fourteenth show how the Christian traders prioritize money over their religious beliefs. Document 7 reflects the practice of Turkish Muslims during the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Here, Seagull Nash, a cotton farmer, is guilty for selling all his cotton one person, rather than distributing the sales among all.
Bin Chalked, a leading Muslim scholar, wrote document 5 in the fourteenth century. Chalked harshly criticizes the Muslim practice of commerce, which ultimately leads to how Muslims have drifted away from their practice of fair trade in the mid sass C. E. Next, documents 1 and 3 are grouped together because they both express how Christian’s believe that one should not be concerned about money. Document 1 , which is a quote from the Bible, states how people that are lather will have a tough time entering Heaven.
Overall, rich people, like traders, will be more concerned about investing their money than with building their relationship with God. Document 3 contains a short story of a successful merchant named SST. Goodrich, who was very wealthy. Goodrich detached from his possessions and donated the money to honor God’s service. This document shows how the merchant felt in his heart that he needed to follow the commandments of the Bible and stay away from riches in order to maintain a relationship with God. Document 1, which is from the Gospel of Matthew, was written in about 80 C.
E. Before he was a disciple of Jesus, Matthew was a tax collector and eventually left behind all his riches to follow Jesus. Goodrich and Matthew both believed that the money earned is a gift from God and should be used to serve His people. In this new document, a Muslim scholar writes a letter directed to all Islamic merchants in about 400 AD. Here, this scholar encourages Muslims to trade to spread the words of Muhammad. The scholar also writes how the Islamic traders should make as much money as possible to enrich their nation.
The Muslim scholar justifies his point by using the following quote from the Curran: “There is no sin on you if you seek the Bounty of your Lord. ” The purpose of this document is to encourage all Muslim merchants to trade because they will receive money and spread Islam. This document is significant because it contradicts Christianity and its teachings of trade and money. For example, while Christianity promotes humility and honesty in trade, Islam encourages their merchants to trade for money because they will be assisting their country’ in gaining power.
