Hisbah (business accountability)


The concept of hisba is an Islamic practice not explicitly in the Qur'an or in the corpus of sahih hadith. In a book review, Mohammad Umar Memon explains that "the institution of the hisba has been generally understood as one seeking to ensure correct economic and commercial practices among the Muslim umma".

Origin

In the beginning, under Caliph Umar, it was a civic institution intended to supervise the course of economic and commercial affairs as well as the legality of contracts. Its foundation is based on a verse which makes a list of major interdicts.