Expanding the Authority of Muhtasib to Protect Consumers: A Comparison between Moroccan Law and Islamic Qanun of Aceh
Abstract
The institution of Hisbah has historically played a fundamental role in organizing public life in Islamic societies through the principle of enjoining good and forbidding evil. This study examines the potential for integrating Hisbah into modern legal systems to strengthen social control, consumer protection, and environmental preservation. The research aims to clarify the legal and legitimate nature of Hisbah, explore its historical decline—particularly after the colonial era—and propose strategies for its rehabilitation. Using a historical, descriptive, and analytical approach, the study investigates the Moroccan legal framework governing Hisbah, assessing whether the Moroccan legislature has effectively integrated it into contemporary law. Additionally, the study compares Morocco's Hisbah system with the model in Aceh Province, Indonesia, where the institution has been successfully adapted to modern societal needs. The findings highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the Moroccan framework and suggest that legislative inflation may have hindered Hisbah’s effectiveness. Drawing lessons from Aceh, the study recommends revitalising Hisbah in Morocco, particularly in addressing contemporary challenges such as health, environmental protection, consumer rights, and traditional crafts.
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Abu-Tapanjeh, Abdussalam Mahmoud. “Corporate Governance from the Islamic Perspective: A Comparative Analysis with OECD Principles.” Critical Perspectives on Accounting 20, no. 5 (July 2009): 556–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2007.12.004.
Al-Hadrawi, Baqer Khudair, Kais Khudair Al-Hadrawi, Souad Ezzerouali, Saleem Khteer Al-Hadraawy, Hanan Khaled Aldhalmi, and Mohammad Abdallah Alshawabkeh. “Narratives of Comfort and Convenience: Exploring Artificial Intelligence’s Role in Alleviating Consumer Anxiety: Legal Aspects.” Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review 5, no. 3 (March 6, 2025): e03865. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v5.n03.pe03865.
Ali, Moh, and M Hendarto. “The Position of Adopted Children as The Heir of Dzawil Arham in Islamic Inheritance Law System: Study on Religious Court Verdict Number: 0002 / Pdt.P / 2013 / Pa.Kp.” Trunojoyo Law Review 2, no. 2 (January 10, 2021): 79–97. https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v2i2.9497.
Ali Muhammad, Rusjdi. “The Role of Wilayat Al-Hisbah in The Implementation of Islamic Shariah in Aceh.” Petita: Jurnal Kajian Ilmu Hukum Dan Syariah 2, no. 2 (November 1, 2017). https://doi.org/10.22373/petita.v2i2.64.
Amedroz, H. F. “The Ḥisba Jurisdiction in the Aḥkām Sultaniyya of Māwardi.” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland 48, no. 1 (January 1916): 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00049066.
Astuti, Frei Fitri, and Laila Nur Jannah. “Flexibility in Accessing Legal Information Through Social Media and Its Implications for Law Enforcement.” Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law 2, no. 1 (March 5, 2025): 23–36. https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v2i1.37.
Ateş, Hamza. “A Pioneering Institution for Ombudsman: Hisbah.” Ombudsman Akademik, no. 6 (June 30, 2017): 21–48. https://doi.org/10.32002/ombudsmanakademik.440042.
Attahiru, Mustapha Sidi. “The Measurement of Hisbah Principles in the Islamic Marketing Context.” The International Journal of Business & Management 9, no. 11 (November 30, 2021). https://doi.org/10.24940/theijbm/2021/v9/i11/BM2111-036.
Azid, Toseef, Umar Burki, Muhammad Junaid Khawaja, Nasim Shah Shirazi, and Muhammad Tahir. “Contributions of Islamic Scholars on Labor Economics and Some Empirical Evidence from Medieval Islam.” In Labor Economics in an Islamic Framework, by Toseef Azid, Umar Burki, Muhammad Junaid Khawaja, Nasim Shah Shirazi, and Muhammad Tahir, 23–50, 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2021. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032019550-4.
Banane, Mohamed Cheikh, Souad Ezzerouali, and Ahmed Mohamed Elzein. “The Struggle for Land in Morocco: A Case Study of Amazigh.” Mazahib 23, no. 2 (December 9, 2024): 391–430. https://doi.org/10.21093/mj.v23i2.8627.
Cook, David. “Shari’a in Muslim Africa.” In The Wiley‐Blackwell Companion to African Religions, edited by Elias Kifon Bongmba, 1st ed., 377–88. Wiley, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118255513.ch26.
Daniswari, Karima. “Implementation of Tobacco Zakat as an Object of Trade Zakat in Lamongrejo Village, Ngimbang District, Lamongan Regency.” Decova Law Journal 1, no. 1 (March 2025): 39–48.
Djawas, Mursyid, Abidin Nurdin, Muslim Zainuddin, Idham Idham, and Zahratul Idami. “Harmonization of State, Custom, and Islamic Law in Aceh: Perspective of Legal Pluralism.” Hasanuddin Law Review 10, no. 1 (May 1, 2024): 64. https://doi.org/10.20956/halrev.v10i1.4824.
Ezzerouali, Souad. “Establishing Specialized Courts for Investment Disputes in the Sultanate of Oman: A Bet to Realize Oman’s Vision 2040 in Attracting Investments.” Pakistan Journal of Life and Social Sciences (PJLSS) 22, no. 2 (2024). https://doi.org/10.57239/PJLSS-2024-22.2.00887.
Ezzerouali, Souad, Mohamed Cheikh Banane, and Brahim Hamdaoui. “Sharia in Moroccan Law: A Perpetual Source and Guiding Reference.” Legality : Jurnal Ilmiah Hukum 33, no. 1 (December 2, 2024): 44–68. https://doi.org/10.22219/ljih.v33i1.36744.
Ezzerouali, Souad, and Omar Njoum. “Legal Reflections on the Drop Shipping Contract: The Need for Legal Regulation.” Journal of Kufa Legal and Political Science 58, no. 16 (2024): 45.
Faidatun Nashihah. “Countries, Economy and Markets: Analysis of Hisbah Institution and Its Contribution to Al-Mawardi Perspective.” Munich Personal RePEc Archive, no. Juni (2018). https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/87029/.
Foster, Benjamin R. “Agoranomos and Muhtasib.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 13, no. 2 (April 1970): 128. https://doi.org/10.2307/3596083.
Glick, Thomas F. “Muhtasib and Mustasaf: A Case Study of Institutional Diffusion.” In 1971, 59–82. University of California Press, 1972. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520313590-004.
Habibullah, Abd Wachid, Karindra Yusnita Puji Rahayu, Ananda Tsany Tsabita, Diyanah Artu Aini, and Dewi Marantika. “Actualization of Public Service Principles by the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia.” Journal of Indonesian Constitutional Law 1, no. 2 (October 31, 2024): 126–39. https://doi.org/10.71239/jicl.v1i2.30.
Hakim, Hary Abdul, Ming Hsi Sung, Chrisna Bagus Edhita Praja, Mutia Qori Dewi Masithoh, and Salsabila Rahadatul’ Aisy. “The Islamic Law within the Indonesian Legal System (A Case Study of Islamic Sharia Law in Aceh).” TSAQAFAH 17, no. 2 (February 6, 2022). https://doi.org/10.21111/tsaqafah.v17i2.6213.
Haqqi, Abdurrahman Raden Aji. “The Administration of Halalan Tayyiban Products and Services in the Era of Islamic Caliphates under Hisbah Institution.” Al-Iktisab: Journal of Islamic Economic Law 1, no. 2 (December 1, 2017): 85. https://doi.org/10.21111/al-iktisab.v1i2.2385.
Hefni, Mohammad. “The Control of The Kadi and The Muhtesib on The Urban Guilds in The Ottoman Empire.” AL-IHKAM: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial 12, no. 2 (January 10, 2018): 219–47. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-lhkam.v12i2.1466.
Hidayat, Fitri. “Interpretation of Judges Toward Fasid and Batil Marriage.” Trunojoyo Law Review 1, no. 1 (February 5, 2019): 61–75. https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v1i1.5259.
Horri, Abolfazl. “Intertextual and Conceptual Chaining in Punishment and Mercy Narratives: A Study of Surah al-Naml.” پژوهشنامه معارف قرآنی, no. Online First (November 2024). https://doi.org/10.22054/rjqk.2024.81005.2998.
Ibrahim, Musa. “Sharia Reforms, Hisbah, and the Economy of Moral Policing in Nigeria.” Journal for the Study of Religion 35, no. 2 (January 18, 2023): 1–21. https://doi.org/10.17159/2413-3027/2022/v35n2a2.
Ishak, Amal Hayati, Tengku Nurul Saadah Tengku Zawawi, Sharifah Fadylawaty Syed Abdullah, and Mohd Dani Muhamad. “The Good Old Days of Hisbah in Preserving Food Hygiene and Safety.” Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal 6, no. SI5 (September 1, 2021): 143–47. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6iSI5.2940.
Jamil Jaafar, Ahmad, Mohd Takiyudin Ibrahim, Khuzaimah Ismail, and Mohd Shahrudin Mohmud. “Hisbah Institution and Its Role Environmental Conservation in Islamic Civilization.” Jurnal Islam Dan Masyarakat Kontemporari 22, no. 1 (2021): 27–35. https://doi.org/10.37231/jimk.2021.22.1.526.
Jassam Al-Rawi, Qutaiba Fawzi. “The Qur’anic Approach to Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, and Its Role in Building Society.” KnE Social Sciences, March 13, 2023. https://doi.org/10.18502/kss.v8i6.13135.
Juber, Salem Salem, and Muhammad Awad Saker. “Sharia Hisba and Public Lawsuit: An Original Study Comparing Sharia and Libyan Law.” Journal of Social Sciences (COES&RJ-JSS) 10, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 150. https://doi.org/10.25255/jss.2021.10.1.150.162.
———. “Sharia Hisba and Public Lawsuit: An Original Study Comparing Sharia and Libyan Law.” Journal of Social Sciences (COES&RJ-JSS) 10, no. 1 (January 1, 2021): 150. https://doi.org/10.25255/jss.2021.10.1.150.162.
Kay, Adrian. “The Changing Traditions of Islamic Public Administration: Observing Processes of Collision, Absorption and Adaptation.” Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration 46, no. 1 (January 2, 2024): 13–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/23276665.2023.2275283.
Keyman, E. Fuat. “Modernity, Secularism and Islam: The Case of Turkey.” Theory, Culture & Society 24, no. 2 (March 2007): 215–34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276407075008.
Khaleel, Fawad, and Alija Avdukic. “Islamic Classical Literature (A.D. 950–1450) on Institutionalisation of Ethics for Regulating Markets and Society.” Religions 15, no. 12 (December 9, 2024): 1496. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel15121496.
Kirazli, Harris Sadik. “Conceptual and Theoretical Framework of Islamic Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking.” In Conflict Resolution and Peacemaking in Islam, by Harris Sadik Kirazli, 55–114. Palgrave Series in Islamic Theology, Law, and History. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-53927-5_4.
Lev, Yaacov. “Army, Regime, And Society In Fatimid Egypt, 358–487/968–1094.” International Journal of Middle East Studies 19, no. 3 (August 1987): 337–66. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743800056762.
Machasin, Machasin. “Accepting Others for Peace from an Islamic Perspective: A Theological-Historical Analysis.” Ulumuna 28, no. 2 (March 6, 2025): 1049–70. https://doi.org/10.20414/ujis.v28i2.1165.
Mohamad, Omar Abu Al-Majd. “Sanctity of Home in Islamic Law.” Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues 24, no. Special Issue 1 (2021): 1–11.
Mottahedeh, Roy, and Kristen Stilt. “Public and Private as Viewed through the Work of the Muhtasib.” Social Research: An International Quarterly 70, no. 3 (September 2003): 735–48. https://doi.org/10.1353/sor.2003.0036.
Muhibbuthabry, Amsori, and Saifullah Idris. “The Status of Wilayat Al-Hisbah Institution in the Constitutional Law Order.” Advanced Science Letters 24, no. 10 (October 1, 2018): 7095–99. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2018.12416.
Murtuza, Athar, and Wagdy Abdallah. “Islamic Muhtasib and American CPAs: A Comparative Study of Institutions Meant to Protect Public.” Journal of Accounting, Business and Management 14, no. 1 (2007): 44.
Nik Abdul Majid, Nik Suhaida. “Islamic Sociological Perspective on Social Deviance of Khamr Drinking.” ‘Abqari Journal 27 (September 29, 2022): 13–31. https://doi.org/10.33102/abqari.vol27no1.491.
Nurdin, Abidin, Fajri M. Kasim, Muhammad Rizwan, and Mahmuddin Daud. “The Implementation of Meunasah-Based Sharia in Aceh: A Social Capital and Islamic Law Perspective.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 5, no. 2 (December 26, 2021): 760. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v5i2.10710.
Price, Monroe, Stefaan Verhulst, and Libby Morgan, eds. “Public Service Media Narratives.” In Routledge Handbook of Media Law, 0 ed., 204–28. Routledge, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203074572-18.
Sa’diyah, Siti, Rizka Rizka, and Imron Rosyadi. “Flexing as a Marketing Strategy: A Perspective from Islamic Economic Law.” Perisai : Islamic Banking and Finance Journal 8, no. 1 (April 13, 2024): 15–30. https://doi.org/10.21070/perisai.v8i1.1638.
Sahruddin, Farhan Jiddan Saros, Ramadhan Raden Bagus Mochammad, Taufik Rizki, and Zalfa Rizqiya Shabriananda. “Carrying and Using Sharp Weapons in Public: Regulation, Challenges, and Reform.” Decova Law Journal 1, no. 1 (March 2025). https://ejournal.pustakaparawali.com/index.php/dlj/article/view/53.
Salim, Ssuna, Syahrul Faizaz Binti Abdullah, and Kamarudin Bin Ahmad. “Wilayat Al-Hisba; A Means to Achieve Justice and Maintain High Ethical Standards in Societies.” Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, July 1, 2015. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n4s2p201.
Shabana, Razia, Abdul Nasir Zamir, and Lubna Qasim. “Hisbah and Islamic Human Rights.” Social Studies 4, no. 4 (2022): 534–46.
Siregar, Hasnil Basri. “Islamic Law in a National Legal System: A Study on the Implementation of Shari’ah in Aceh, Indonesia.” Asian Journal of Comparative Law 3 (2008): 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2194607800000156.
Smolo, Edib. “Islam and Free Trade: The Contributions of Muslim Scholars to Modern Economic Theories.” In The Future of Islamic Finance, edited by Edib Smolo and Mohamed Mahees Raheem, 49–64. Emerald Publishing Limited, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83549-906-120241004.
Srivastava, Ashish Kumar. “Historical Legal Research.” In Legal Research Methodology, 99–112. New Delhi: Satyam Law International, 2024. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4788158.
Stilt, Kristen, and M. Safa Saraçoğlu. “Hisba and Muhtasib.” In The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Law, by Kristen Stilt and M. Safa Saraçoğlu, 326–56. edited by Anver M. Emon and Rumee Ahmed. Oxford University Press, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199679010.013.9.
Sudirman L, Wirani Aisiyah Anwar, Sunuwati Sunuwati, and A. Rio Makkulau Wahyu. “Judicial Institution and Judicial Power: How Judicial Authority Existence in Administering Judicial Power in the Islamic View.” DIKTUM: Jurnal Syariah Dan Hukum 20, no. 2 (December 28, 2022): 169–83. https://doi.org/10.35905/diktum.v20i2.3544.
Suma, Muhammad Amin, Ridwan Nurdin, and Irfan Khairul Umam. “The Implementation of Shari’a in Aceh: Between the Ideal and Factual Achievements.” AHKAM : Jurnal Ilmu Syariah 20, no. 1 (June 30, 2020). https://doi.org/10.15408/ajis.v20i1.14704.
Sumardi, Dedy, Ratno Lukito, and Moch Nur Ichwan. “Legal Pluralism within The Space of Sharia: Interlegality of Criminal Law Traditions in Aceh, Indonesia.” Samarah: Jurnal Hukum Keluarga Dan Hukum Islam 5, no. 1 (June 30, 2021): 426. https://doi.org/10.22373/sjhk.v5i1.9303.
Syarif, Taufiqul Rahman, and Farah Aida Ahmad Nadzri. “Principles of Governance in the Quran and Their Role in Eradicating Corruption.” Jurnal Islam Dan Masyarakat Kontemporari 25, no. 2 (August 30, 2024): 53–63. https://doi.org/10.37231/jimk.2024.25.2.884.
Tambari Abbas, Bashar, and Dutsin Ahmad Maigari. “The Role of Hisbah in Promoting Ethical Values among the Muslim Ummah in the Classical Period of Islam.” Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture 6, no. 2 (2018). https://doi.org/10.15640/jisc.v6n2a1.
Tengku Zawawi, Tengku Nurul Saadah, Amal Hayati Ishak, and Mohd Dani Muhamad. “The Roles of Muhtasib in Islamic Medieval Urban Management.” Environment-Behaviour Proceedings Journal 6, no. SI5 (September 1, 2021): 181–86. https://doi.org/10.21834/ebpj.v6iSI5.2947.
Trisko Darden, Jessica, and Duenya Hassan. “Citizenship, Family Law, and the Repatriation of Islamic State Affiliates in MENA.” Terrorism and Political Violence 36, no. 5 (July 3, 2024): 599–613. https://doi.org/10.1080/09546553.2023.2188961.
Uthlufah, Haqqiyah. “The Principle of Self Submission in Divorces Cases from The Perspective of Legal Certainty.” Trunojoyo Law Review 2, no. 1 (February 1, 2020): 63–78. https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v2i1.9496.
Zain, Che Rosmawati Che Mohd, and Zalina Zakaria. “Integration of Islamic Management Principles and Values According to the Qurʾan and Hadith in Fostering Halal Governance in Malaysia.” Al-Bayan: Journal of Qur’an and Hadith Studies 20, no. 2 (July 6, 2022): 157–81. https://doi.org/10.1163/22321969-12340112.
Zakiyah, Ninik, Paramita Prananingtyas, Hari Sutra Disemadi, and Konstantin Gubanov. “Al-Hisbah Contextualization in the Business Competition Law in Indonesia.” AL-’ADALAH 16, no. 2 (December 26, 2019): 249–62. https://doi.org/10.24042/adalah.v16i2.5365.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21107/tlr.v7i2.29151
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Souad Ezzerouali

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.