Final answer:
Merchants have the advantage of acting as intermediaries and making profits through importing and selling goods, as well as benefiting from taxes levied on goods being transported.
Step-by-step explanation:
One advantage that merchants might have as they travel through South Asia, Arabia, and Africa is the ability to act as intermediaries. Muslim merchants in particular, due to their central location at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia, frequently purchased goods from one area and sold them to merchants from another. This allowed them to make profits by importing and selling goods, including spices, ivory, salt, silks, and other luxury items. Additionally, merchants benefited from the taxes levied by states on goods being transported through their territory.