The Administration of Halalan Tayyiban Products and Services in the Era of Islamic Caliphates under Hisbah Institution

Abstract

A caliphate is a territory under the leadership of an Islamic steward known as a<br />caliph, a person considered a religious successor to the Muhammad and a leader of the<br />entire Muslim community. Historically, the caliphates were polities based in Islam which<br />developed into multi-ethnic trans-national empires. During the medieval period, three<br />major caliphates existed: the Rashidun Caliphate (632–661), the Umayyad<br />Caliphate (661–750) and the Abbasid Caliphate (750–1258). The fourth major caliphate,<br />the Ottoman Caliphate, established by the Ottoman Empire in 1517. One of the duties<br />of a caliph is to administer and control the market which was included in Hisbah system.<br />The Hisbah is a religious institution under the authority of the state that appoints<br />people to carry out the responsibility of enjoining what is right, whenever people start to<br />neglect it, and forbidding what is wrong, whenever people start to engage in it. The<br />purpose of this is to safeguard society from deviance, protect the faith, and ensure the<br />welfare of the people in both religious and worldly manners according to the Law of<br />Allah. Allah has made it obligatory upon all Muslims to enjoin good and forbid wrongdoing<br />to the extent of their knowledge and abilities. Halalan Tayyiban products and services<br />were controlled under this institution. And this paper is an attempt to highlight such<br />control in the history of Islam. How were Halalan Tayyiban products and services<br />administered and controlled?