Truthful Merchant

Ibrahim al-Nakha’ii [a great Imam of Tabi’iin] was asked:

وقال إبراهيم النخعي – رحمه الله – وسئل عن الرجل يترك التجارة ويقبل على الصلاة يعني ورجل يشتغل بالتجارة أيهما أفضل قال التاجر الأمين.
الآداب الشرعية لابن مفلح ( 3 / 428 )

‘Who is better among these two: A man who abstains from trade and spends his time in prayer or a merchant who is occupied with trade?’

He replied: “The truthful merchant.”

[‘Aadab al-Shar’iyah’, 3/261].

* Note: This is talking about voluntary prayers, not the obligatory prayers, which nobody can miss due to trade.