Hisba in islam

Islamic Group Egypt: To enjoin what is right and forbid the evil (Hisba), is the way to the welfare and prosperity of this Muslim nation. This is according to the holy words of Allah, "Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah." (Al 'Imran: 110). Hisba is a practical response to the divine statement, “Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: they are the ones to attain felicity” (Al 'Imran: 104).

Hisba has been enacted by Islam to be the fortress that protects the society from within. Jihad has been imposed as a factor of immortalizing and protecting the Message of Islam from the outside enemies. It is a fortress that protects Islam from without. On the other hand, Hisba is the inner fortress that protects the society from within once people deviate from its instructions. It is an awakening to all the heedless and a helping hand extended to the weak to curb himself. It is further guidance to the reckless to go back on the right track. Hisba also deters the deviant from his depravity.

Thus, Hisba can disseminate and maximize righteousness in the society. On the other hand, it limits mischief and wickedness to the minimum. It urges the wrongdoer to forsake his sin. If not, it urges him to sin secretly at least. In this way, Hisba protects the society from the evil o bragging with sins which makes it more prevalent and habitual. Bragging with sins can exacerbate to the extent that people get confused between what is wrong and what is evil.

Hisba is a positive choice that educates the Muslim society to be positive towards any malfunction aiming at destroying ideals and smashing the values. Hisba urges the society to make every endeavor to set this right and preserve the moral system. The choice of Hisba protects the belief and thought from religious fabrications and maintains its purity and clarity. Hisba protects the society from any hallucinations or fabrications. This way, it maintains the rights and preserves the religious rituals. Hisba is an option that protects morality against extinction, especially in a society submerged in materialism and afflictions; and opens its doors wide before all the components of modern civilization. The choice of the institution of Hisba prevents the dereliction and negligence from infiltrating into the teachings and principles of Islam.

Thus, Al Hisba is a positive choice that protects the society from the prevalence of passivity towards the deviation overwhelming the whole society. Hisba is also an effective mechanism of confronting the social;l maladies and ailments which erode society from within to undermine its pillars.

The absence of the institution of Hisba from the Muslim societies nowadays is the first indicator and reason of the spread of the fatal social diseases and deadly societal epidemics without any deterring conscience or morals. Nowadays, murders are perpetrated on the streets and public squares before many people. Kidnapping and theft are ordinary activities. People panic no more on hearing of rape incidents. Thuggery, drug trafficking, adultery, depravity, bribery, profiteering, stealing public money, homosexual groups, Satanism and many other crimes are practiced in society under the chin of the Arab and Muslim people. It is a state of absolute passivity.

Following this and out of our awareness of the crisis of our society and all the internal and external threats confronting it, we endeavor to put an end to these social maladies. We attempt to join our the ranks of our society to set right this societal disorder. This is to contribute to alleviate the calamity of the nation and Muslim homelands. To this end, we work through the legitimate channels and make use of every potential to make the Muslim nation better off. We also try to activate the role of the society individuals in a way far from trespassing on them or hurting them by any way. We endeavor to delineate a correct image for people, whether those ready to perform the Hisba duty or those who cannot. This image will show the Muhtasib (he who enjoins the right and forbids the evil) as a compassionate propagator of Islam, keen on helping people towards righteousness and religiousness. Al Muhtasib lives as any other member of his society: he loves his fellow citizens and is loved by them. Hisba, for him, is a beacon of guidance to people and not a threatening gun pointed at them.

We aim at creating a mature relation between the Muhtasib and his society. This is to be accomplished through clarifying the legal rules of Hisba and the practical controls put for it by the nation's scholars. Hisba is legally impermissible once it infringes on the boundaries of reform, the target of Hisba, and wreaks havoc.

Society is the live environment of practicing Hisba. Peace and settlement will cloak the society if the Muhtasib adheres to the legal controls set by Islam, loves his society and endeavors to reform it. The Muslim nation will thrive in security if Muhtasib's maintain its coherence and protect it from erosion in the fields of science and work. The structure of the Muslim society will be stronger as it opens its heart for Hisba and Muhtasib's. the Muslim society will be invincible to fatal social diseases and viruses if it positively encourages the active role of Muhtasibs and cooperates with them in combating deviation and crimes.

Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is one of the greatest and most colossal active options stressed by Allah Almighty in the Holy Qur'an and urged by the Prophet (PBUH) in his tradition. It is highly important an ordinance that Allah destined the sons of Israel to be cursed for not performing it. Allah Almighty says, “Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected Faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary, because they disobeyed and persisted in Excesses. Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the inequities which they committed: evil indeed were the deeds which they did” (Al Ma'idah: 78). I this regard, Allah also says: “When the disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We rescued those who forbade evil: but we visited the wrongdoers with a grievous punishment, because they were given to transgression” (Al A'raf:165).

Despite all this, Hisba actually serves the ends of the Call to Allah and is subordinate to it. Hisba addresses the senses, whereas the call to Allah addresses hearts that affect the senses and refute minds suspicions. Hisba changes attitudes rather than personalities. On the other hand, the Call to Allah modifies personalities; hence all their attitudes are reformed. The function of Hisba is to fix what is apparent, while the Call to Allah fixes both what is apparent and what is hidden within. In accordance with all this, on practicing the legally-controlled Hisba; the positive and the negative impacts should be studied so as not to inflict harm on the Islamic Call. For subordinates may not dismiss masters and followers are not to harm the followed ones.

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