An Organization that Contributes to Public Education: Ḥisba Institution

Abstract

The Ḥisba Institution is a unique institution of Islamic civilization responsible for duty of commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong. The Ḥisba Institution, which embodies many duties and authorities, is based on the Qurʾān and the Prophet’s teachings. This institution is a reflection of the principle of commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong (al-amr bi al-maʿrūf wa al-nahy ʿan al-munkar). This principle embodies th concept of education, supervision, and change. For this reason, it is in a reciprocal relationship with education. The primary aim of the Ḥisba Institution is to ensure social control. Methods for achieving social control include educational approaches. The Ḥisba Institution which aims at moral development and the protection of social order, Muḥtasibs in charge of the Ḥisba Institution perform supervisory activities to ensure social order and control, while at the same time serving as role-models for the individuals in society.  All of these features can be considered as the contribution of the Ḥisba Institution to public education. While many studies have addressed the Ḥisba Institution and the principle of commanding what is right and forbidding what is wrong, there has not been a specific study on its educational aspect. In this study, it was tried to determine the contribution of the Ḥisba Institution, an organization of Islamic states, to public education by examining its general characteristics and practices from the moment it took the form of the first institution to the moment it lost its institutional form.  In this context, the study evaluated the contribution of the Ḥisba Institution to the education of individual, social order, and education. The aspects of the Ḥisba Institution that reflected on the society were analyzed using document technique, on of the qualitative research methods with a focus on education. The data obtained were analyzed and presented in the text. This study is considered significant for exploring an unexplored aspect of the Ḥisba Institution, its contribution to public education, and its contribution to the field of religious education. As a result of this study, it has been determined that the Ḥisba Institution has a structure that contributes to public education on the basis of moral development as well as being in a position that aims at the contunity of social order. Further comprehensive research in this area is recommended.