Ayatollah Hadavi: Islamic market should be a place of worship

Some may think there is a gap and distance between what is related to this world and to the Hereafter but this is not true according to Islam.

Islam has even introduced Muslims’ market as a place of worship, senior cleric Ayatollah Mehdi Hadavi Tehrani (Born in 1961) said in a Quran interpretation session, excerpts of which are as follows:

Islam portrays the Islamic market as a place of worship. This does not mean that people are saying prayers and prostrating in the market, but it means that in the rules and criteria ruling the Islamic market are such that make trade and business a venue for worshipping God not a place for Satan.

We read in verse 10 of Surah Al-Jumu’ah: “When the prayer ends, disperse through the land and seek the favor of God. Remember Him often so that perhaps you will have everlasting happiness.”

God says all of these are for people to have everlasting happiness. So the faithful have activities related to this world but these activities should not prevent them from remembering God.

Islam does not say abandon the world and seek isolation like some in Christianity do. Thus the happiness that Islam seeks for Muslims is one that both for this world and the next. We should try to implement Islam’s plan in society and not allow worldly matters to cause us to forget God.

God says in verse 9 of Surah Al-Munafiqun: “Believers, do not let either your possessions or your children divert you from the Remembrance of Allah. Those who do that shall be the losers.”

One of the main manifestations of remembering God is saying prayers, including Friday prayers, and perhaps the reason why it is Mustahab (recommended) to read Surahs Al-Jumu’ah and Al-Munafiqun in Friday prayers is because some of their verses have similar concepts, including the need to remember God.

source:abna24