The Muhtasib is the judge that deals in all the cases that concern the public rights and which do not have a plaintiff, as long as these cases do not fall under the Hudood (penal code) and the Jinayat (criminal law).

This is the definition of the judge of Hisba, a definition that is deduced from the Hadith relating to the heap of food when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) discovered dampness in the heap of food, so He ordered that the damp food be displayed on the top so that people could see it. This was a public right on which the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) looked into, and judged that the wet food should be displayed at the top to prevent cheating. This applies to all the public rights or interests that are of this nature. It does not include the penal code or the criminal law, for they are not of the same sort, and they are disputes between people in the first place.