Condemnation of the Marketplace

Imam Ali (AS) in one of his letters to al-Harith al-Hamdani, said, 'Beware of sitting in the marketplaces for they are the meeting places of Satan and the targets of mischief.

Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, 'The most evil of places on earth are the marketplaces, for it is Satan's domain where he unfurls his flag first in the morning, takes up his seat and gives free rein to his offspring, from a vendor niggardly with his measure, to one who is reckless with his scale, to one who thieves off metres [from cloth], or to one who lies about his wares; to all he says, 'Take advantage of this man whose father has probably died [and has left him with an inheritance and no responsibility] whilst your own father is still alive. And he continues to do this from the first one to enter therein to the last one to leave.