Informed Comment Homepage

Thoughts on the Middle East, History and Religion

Header Right

  • Featured
  • US politics
  • Middle East
  • Environment
  • US Foreign Policy
  • Energy
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • About
  • Archives
  • Submissions

© 2025 Informed Comment

  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dirham

__socrates

  • Page
  • History
Wikis > Dictionary of Islam > Dirham
DIRHAM درهم
Greek . A silver coin, the shape of which resembled that of a date stone. During the caliphate of ‘Umar, it was changed into a circular form; and in the time of Zubair, it was impressed with the words Allah, “God,” barakah “blessing.” Hajjaj stamped upon it the chapter of the Qur’an called Ikhlas (cxii), and others say he imprinted it with his own name. Various accounts are given of their weights; some saying that they were of ten, or nine, or six, or five misqals; whilst others give the weights of twenty, twelve, and ten qirats asserting at the same time that ‘Umar had taken a dirham of each kind, and formed a coin of fourteen qirats, being the third part of the aggregate sum. (Blochmann’s Ain-I-Akbari, p 36.)
The dirham, although it is frequently mentioned in books of law, only occurs once in the Qur’an, Surah xii 20, “All they sold him (Joseph) for a mean price dirhams counted out, and they parted with him cheaply.” for a mean price, dirhams counted out, and they parted with him cheaply.”

Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam

Tweet
Share
Reddit
Email

Primary Sidebar

Support Independent Journalism

Click here to donate via PayPal.

Personal checks should be made out to Juan Cole and sent to me at:

Juan Cole
P. O. Box 4218,
Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2548
USA
(Remember, make the checks out to “Juan Cole” or they can’t be cashed)

STAY INFORMED

Join our newsletter to have sharp analysis delivered to your inbox every day.
Warning! Social media will not reliably deliver Informed Comment to you. They are shadowbanning news sites, especially if "controversial."
To see new IC posts, please sign up for our email Newsletter.

Social Media

Bluesky | Instagram

Popular

  • Trumpism holds all Men are Created Unequal and most should be Denied Life, Liberty or the Pursuit of Happiness
  • Misreading and Misrepresenting Iran
  • Trump never saw a Wind Farm in China, but Beijing has half of all Installed Wind Capacity and will Eat America's Lunch in this Industry
  • Why China's Inaction on Palestine and Iran Weakens its Global Standing
  • The Trump Team's Purge of Pentagon Photos Raises Sinister Echoes from the Past

Gaza Yet Stands


Juan Cole's New Ebook at Amazon. Click Here to Buy
__________________________

Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires



Click here to Buy Muhammad: Prophet of Peace amid the Clash of Empires.

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam


Click here to Buy The Rubaiyat.
Sign up for our newsletter

Informed Comment © 2025 All Rights Reserved