The abjad letters named for Madyan's kings
أحرف الجمل على أسماء ملوك مدين
al-Mas'udi's etymology of the abjad numeral letters — the 29 letters of the abjad order named after six kings of Shu'ayb's people: Abjad of Mecca and the Hijaz, Hawwaz and Hutti of Wajj (the Ta'if and Najd lands), and Kalamn, Sa'fas and Qursht of Madyan or Egypt 1.
At a glance
- Era
- Pre-Islamic Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Scripture and its sciencesTradition versus culture
Overview
Al-Masudi relates that the letters of the abjad, twenty-nine in number, on which the reckoning of letter values (hisab al-jummal) is based, are named after the kings of the people of Shu'ayb, of the Banu al-Mahd ibn Jundal ibn Ya'sub ibn Madyan. 2
The names
Abjad was king of Mecca and its surroundings in the Hijaz. Hawwaz and Hutti were two kings in the land of Wajj, which is the land of al-Ta'if and the parts of Najd joined to it. Kalaman, Sa'fas and Qarashat were kings of Midian, and it is said they were in the land of Egypt. 2
Al-Masudi notes that there are other accounts of the letters besides this one, which the records here do not set out.
People and things also explored
The seven ahruf· Hadith· Shama'il Muhammadiyya· The Prophetic sira· Command, prohibition and capacity· al-Anwāʾ (Star Rains)· Jahiliyya names of days and months· The ill-omened days
Sources
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p. 459
- Muruj al-Dhahab — al-Masʼudi, p.459
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The abjad letters named for Madyan's kings”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/abjad-kings-etymology/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.