Hisba, Arts and Craft in Islam.

• Author: Stilt, Kristen
• Position: Book review

Hisba, Arts and Craft in Islam. By AHMAD GHABIN. Arabisch-Islamische Welt in Tradition und Moderne, vol. 7. Wiesbaden: HARRASSOWITZ, 2009. Pp. 287. [euro] 48.

The stated goal of this book is "to reveal the real nature of the institution of hisba and to look for any relationship between its activity and the development of arts and crafts in Islam. Historically and geographically our research will not be confined to any specific period or place in Medieval Islam" (p. 12). The introduction suggests that the book will summarize the origins and development of the concept of hisba (a topic that was covered in great depth in 2000 by Michael Cook in Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong in Islamic Thought); discuss the specific institution of the muhtasib, as the official appointed to carry out the task of hisba; and assess how the muhtasib regulated arts and crafts. All of this will be done over the wide time and space of medieval Islamic history.

The book is divided into three parts: "Historical Survey" comprises three chapters; "Hisba, Arts and Crafts in the Muslim Sources: An Overall Review" consists of a two-page introduction and chapters four through ten; and "Examples of Hisba Practices in Arts and Crafts" includes only the lengthy chapter eleven, "Arts and Crafts in the Manuals of Hisba" (pp. 191-259), followed by a brief conclusion.

The introduction raises concerns about the book's endeavor, such as: Does any legal institution have a "real nature"? If so, how can it be determined? What is the definition of "arts and crafts"? Why is there an expectation of a relationship between the institution of hisba and arts and crafts in Islam? And, how can relationships between the institution and the development of "arts and crafts" be determined in the abstract, without regard for place and time? These questions raise fundamental issues relating to sources, methods, and scope, but unfortunately do not receive adequate treatment in the book. As a result, the various sections read like discrete bits of material, without unifying themes or connections. Within the chapters the author seeks to cover vast topics and makes broad claims without adequate evidence. Greater attention to editing on a macro and micro level could have addressed the overlap among some chapters as well as problems with awkwardness of phrasing and errors in spelling, transliteration, and style. The most original and useful chapter of the book is the final one, which collects references to architecture, figurative arts, textile arts, potters and porcelain makers, glassmakers, and metalwork in the manuals written to guide muhtasibs in their work.

In chapter one ("Some Jahili Origins of Hisba," pp. 17-30), the author draws the conclusion, as others have done, that the idea of a market inspector existed in the pre-Islamic period. Specifically, he points to the markets of...