MONEY. There are three coins mentioned in the Qur’an, (1) Qintar قتطار, (2) Dinar (8) Dirham درهم pl. Darahim.
(1) Qintar. Suah iii. 68: “Among the people of the Book are those to one of whom, you entrust a qintar, he will restore it.”
In the Qamus, it is said that a qintar was a gold coin of the value of 200 dinars, but Muhammad Tahir, the author of the Majma’u ‘l-Bihar (p. 173), says it implies a very considerable sum of money, as much gold as will go into the hide of a cow. It is generally translated talent.
(2) Dinar. Surah iii. 68: “There are those to whom, if thon entrust a dinar, they will not restore it to thee.” It was the denarius, or a small gold coin.
(3) Dirham. Surah xii. 20: “And they sold him for a mean price, dirhams counted out.” A silver drachma. [QINTAR, DINAR, DIRHAM, WEIGHTS.]
Mr. Prinsep says: “The silver rupee (rupya, silver piece), now current in Muslim countries, was introduced. according to Abul-fazel, by Sher Shah, who usurped the throne of Delhi from Humayoon in the year 1542. Previous to his time, the Arahic dirhim (silver drachma), the gold dinar (denarius ouri), and the copper fuloos (follis). formed the currency of the Moghul dominions. Sher Shah’s rupee had on one side the Muslim creed, on the other the emperor’s name and the date in Persian, both encircled in an annular Hindee inscription. Since the same coin was received and made more pure, in Akber’s reign, we may assume the original weight of the rupee, from Abulfazel’s statement, to have been 11 ½ mashas. Akbar’s square rupee, called from its inscription the jilaly, was of the same weight and value. This coin was also called the chahar-yaree, from the four friends of the Prophet, Abu-bekr, Omar, Osman, ‘Ali, whose nimee are inscribed on the margin. This rupee is supposed by the vulgar to have talismanic power.”
(1) Qintar. Suah iii. 68: “Among the people of the Book are those to one of whom, you entrust a qintar, he will restore it.”
In the Qamus, it is said that a qintar was a gold coin of the value of 200 dinars, but Muhammad Tahir, the author of the Majma’u ‘l-Bihar (p. 173), says it implies a very considerable sum of money, as much gold as will go into the hide of a cow. It is generally translated talent.
(2) Dinar. Surah iii. 68: “There are those to whom, if thon entrust a dinar, they will not restore it to thee.” It was the denarius, or a small gold coin.
(3) Dirham. Surah xii. 20: “And they sold him for a mean price, dirhams counted out.” A silver drachma. [QINTAR, DINAR, DIRHAM, WEIGHTS.]
Mr. Prinsep says: “The silver rupee (rupya, silver piece), now current in Muslim countries, was introduced. according to Abul-fazel, by Sher Shah, who usurped the throne of Delhi from Humayoon in the year 1542. Previous to his time, the Arahic dirhim (silver drachma), the gold dinar (denarius ouri), and the copper fuloos (follis). formed the currency of the Moghul dominions. Sher Shah’s rupee had on one side the Muslim creed, on the other the emperor’s name and the date in Persian, both encircled in an annular Hindee inscription. Since the same coin was received and made more pure, in Akber’s reign, we may assume the original weight of the rupee, from Abulfazel’s statement, to have been 11 ½ mashas. Akbar’s square rupee, called from its inscription the jilaly, was of the same weight and value. This coin was also called the chahar-yaree, from the four friends of the Prophet, Abu-bekr, Omar, Osman, ‘Ali, whose nimee are inscribed on the margin. This rupee is supposed by the vulgar to have talismanic power.”
Based on Hughes, Dictionary of Islam
© 2026 All Rights Reserved