How did the start of Islam affect arab merchants?

[federox]

I'm doing my history homework, and I would like to know how the Beginning of Islam/Muslim religion affected merchants in the Middle East at the time?

[Millan]

Well, many merchants also converted to Islam and so they started practicing more Islamic ways of business and trade.  Whether or not they turned Muslim though, they were able to spread Islam over very long distances and that's how it initially reached places outside of Arabia, even places where Muslims didn't conquer like South East Asia.

I hope that answered your question.