Ruling on Visiting Markets in Which Temptations and Evils Are Widespread

22-1-2026 | IslamWeb

Question:

I am young and have high desires, I am Not going to a shop because it has music and adorned women, pictures of them everywhere but going to a shop that dosent have the items i would like and cost more but dosent have the same fitnah, whar happens if it is my parents that are going to the shop and ask me to come with them to do basic help like carrying Could you give a general ruling of necessity and what extent to leave fitnah bc i will find it everywhere but when do i leave. please fix my issue

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

It is commendable for a Muslim to refrain from visiting marketplaces where immorality is widespread, as doing so helps protect oneself and guard against temptation and its causes. However, as you noted at the end of your question, the means of temptation are often present in most places. Scholars refer to this situation as ʿumūm al-balwā (a widespread affliction).

For this reason, people are not forbidden from going to markets where such evils are common, since prohibiting this would place them under undue hardship—and hardship is removed in Islamic law. Allah, the Exalted, says (what means): {He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty.} [Quran 22:78].

Accordingly, there is no blame upon you for accompanying your parents to the market and assisting them if they need your help. Fear Allah to the best of your ability and seek His help in lowering your gaze and avoiding matters that lead to temptation.

Allah knows best.