What is "muhtasibat"

A muhtasibat is an Islamic territorial division of a muhtasib and is directly subordinate to a qadi and qadiyat. A muhtasib oversees a muhtasibat.

As Sunni Islam does not prescribe any formal hierarchy or priesthood, muhtasibats are primarily found in European- and Central Asian Islamic organizations, particularly in south-eastern Europe and countries deriving from the former Soviet Union.

Originally, a muhtasib was an Ottoman official charged with supervising proper weights and measures in markets as well as the proper conduct of certain rituals. Today, a muhtasibat is a territory containing several mahallas or congregations. Religious institutions and Islamic parochial schools fall directly under the supervision of muhtasibats.