Definition
- Hisbah: an institutionalised system of "commanding right and forbidding wrong" (3:104, 3:110), applied to market/economic conduct, public morals and administrative behaviour.
Historical Institution
- Formal office of Muhtasib (market/public inspector) developed under the Umayyads and Abbasids, rooted in Umar's (RA) own personal market inspections.
- Regulated weights/measures, prevented fraud and hoarding (Ihtikar), curbed price manipulation, ensured public order, and could discipline officials for misconduct.
Distinct From the Formal Judiciary (Qada)
- Hisbah is typically summary, proactive and preventive, addressing violations quickly without lengthy litigation.
Qur'anic Evidence
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وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ
اردو: اور تم میں سے ایک جماعت ایسی ہونی چاہیے جو بھلائی کی طرف بلائے۔
English: "And let there be among you a community calling to good."
— Surah Āl-'Imran 3:104
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Hadith Evidence
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مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ
اردو: جو شخص تم میں سے کوئی برائی دیکھے تو اسے اپنے ہاتھ سے بدل دے۔
English: "Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith."
— Sahih Muslim 49
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CSS Exam Tips
- Discuss the system of accountability (Hisbah) in Islam and its relevance to modern governance.
- Cross-reference: Responsibilities of Civil Servants, Amar Bil Ma'roof wa Nahi anil Munkar (Theme V).
20-Mark Enrichment — Analytical Material
Core Argument
Accountability in Islam operates on three simultaneous levels, and this three-tier structure is the thesis of a 20-mark answer: (1) muḥāsabat al-nafs — the individual's self-audit before Allah; (2) social accountability — the community's duty of naṣīḥah and amr bi'l-maʿrūf; and (3) institutional accountability — ḥisbah, qaḍāʾ, maẓālim and financial audit. No other system combines an internal monitor that cannot be evaded with external machinery that cannot be ignored. Where contemporary Muslim states fail, it is because the first tier is preached and the third is hollow.
1. Tier One — Muḥāsabat al-Nafs (Self-Accountability)
- يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ — "O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow." — (59:18) — let every soul examine what it has sent forward for tomorrow.