Qur'anic inscriptions on Islamic coins

Farajallah Ahmad Yusuf holds that Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was the first to inscribe Qur'anic verses on Islamic coins, to express the independent identity of the state, when in 77 AH he issued Arab dinars free of any image. ¹ He inscribed Surat al-Ikhlas — in the author's view a reply to the Trinitarian formulas of Byzantine coins — and al-Tawba 33 to affirm the universality of the mission and the prevailing of Islam, a verse that became one of the most widespread on Islamic coins. ^{1 2} Pure Arab dirhams followed in 78 AH. ¹

The author says that Abd al-Malik thereby set a precedent, and verses came to express the political and sectarian orientations and economic and social conditions of many states. ² His examples include:

• Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Ash'ath, rising against Abd al-Malik, inscribed al-Nisa' 139, protesting, the author says, al-Hajjaj's levying of jizya on Muslims. ²
• The Abbasid da'wa took al-Shura 23 as a slogan on its coins from 127 AH; it stayed on Abbasid coins until 136, and was then inscribed by al-Hasan ibn Zayd in the Alid state of Tabaristan and by al-Hasan ibn al-Qasim. ^{2 3}
• Ibrahim ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Hasan inscribed al-Isra' 81 on coins struck at Basra in 145 AH, and it became an Alid slogan; the Alid rulers of Tabaristan inscribed al-Hajj 39 and al-Ahzab 33, the latter appearing also on coins of the Sa'dian sharifs of Morocco. ^{3 4}
• Al-Ma'mun, after his conflict with his brother al-Amin, inscribed al-Rum 4–5, which became a hallmark of Abbasid coins until 656 AH and was used also by Abd al-Rahman al-Nasir in al-Andalus after he was proclaimed Commander of the Faithful in 316. ^{4 5}
• Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Khujistani inscribed Al Imran 26, which later appeared on the coins of Hulagu and his son Abaqa — Buddhists, the author notes, addressing their Muslim subjects — and of the Nasrids of Granada. ⁵
• The leader of the Zanj revolt inscribed al-Tawba 111 and al-Ma'ida 44; the author judges the second choice mistaken, since it was revealed about the Jews and a Muslim is not declared an unbeliever for a grave sin. ⁶
• Al-Saff 13 appeared on a dirham of Rayy of 329 AH for the Samanid Nasr ibn Ahmad, then on coins of al-Mustansir and al-Musta'sim as the Mongols advanced; Al Imran 126 appeared on Marinid coins and on Mamluk coins from al-Nasir Muhammad ibn Qalawun until 923 AH. ^{6 7}
• Al-Radi bi-llah inscribed Fatir 34 on appointing Muhammad ibn Ra'iq amir al-umara'. ⁷

These readings of motive are the author's interpretations of each verse's choice in its historical setting, as set out in his introduction. ²