The Papyrus Affair and the Striking of the Dinars

أمر القراطيس وضرب الدنانير

c. 692 CE · c. 73 AH† †

† Hijri date derived by computation from the Gregorian/Julian date; it may differ from the transmitted date by a day or two.

In al-Baladhuri: papyrus rolls entered Roman lands from Egypt and dinars came to the Arabs from the Romans; Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan was among the first to inscribe what was written at scroll-heads — 'Say He is God, One' and other mentions of God — so Rome's king wrote him: 'you have introduced an inscription on your papyri that we hate; if you leave it, we will put on the dinars of mention of you what you hate.' That weighed on Abd al-Malik — loath to abandon a good practice he had established — so he sent to Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu'awiya, who said: 'set your heart at ease, Commander of the Faithful: forbid their dinars that they not be traded, strike coinage for the people, and do not relieve these unbelievers of what they hated in the scrolls.' Abd al-Malik said 'you have relieved me, may God relieve you' and struck the dinars. Awana ibn al-Hakam said: the Copts used to mention Christ at scroll-heads attributing divinity to him, placing the cross where the basmala was — hence Rome's king was galled and Abd al-Malik's change weighed on him. Al-Mada'ini via Maslama ibn Muharib: Khalid ibn Yazid counselled Abd al-Malik to forbid their dinars, prevent trading in them, and stop papyrus entering Roman lands — so for a time none was carried to them.