Final answer:
The statement regarding religious tolerance aiding in empire expansion and cultural spread of Islam is true. This tolerance and unity under Islamic institutions sparked extensive trade and diverse Islamic practices, blending local and Islamic traditions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Religious tolerance facilitated greater expansion of the empire and trade within the empire, allowing Islamic culture to spread much farther than it might have if the empire had faced more difficulty in expanding because of greater resistance from internal populations' is true. Religious tolerance within Islamic empires like the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal allowed for diverse communities, including non-Muslims such as Christians and Jews, to flourish under their rule. This policy of tolerance towards dhimmis, or non-Muslim subjects, often came with the expectation of paying a special tax, but it also paved the way for relatively peaceful coexistence.
Additionally, many did convert to Islam, sometimes out of genuine faith and other times for pragmatic reasons, such as gaining full citizenship rights within the empire. This environment of tolerance, combined with the cultural and administrative unity brought by Islam and its institutions, encouraged trade and the spread of Islamic culture throughout a vast area from Spain to the gates of China, further facilitated by shared languages and traditions.