The word Hisbah is derived from the root „hasaba‟ which means “arithmetical problem”, “sum” or “reward”. The verb “hasaba”, Yahsubu means to “compute”, or “to measure”. The verbal form “Ihtasaba” means “to take into consideration”, to anticrpate a reward in the hereafter by adding a pious deed to one’s account with Allah.3 From here, the usage of a noun ihtasaba came to be associated with the activities of a person who invites others to do good (alamr bi al ma‟ruf) and forbids them from evil (annahy an al munkar) in the hope of getting a reward in the hereafter.
Source: Journal of Islamic Studies and Culture
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