Islam had a high tendency for capitalistic activity and commercial trade. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) had been a commenda trader; in his twenties, he married a rich woman Qurayshi. The Quraysh had grown rich from the caravan trade and banking. The Muslim Empire merchants conformed perfectly to Weber’s conditions for capitalist commotion. They seized every opportunity for their profit and their encashment and profits in money terms. The first Arabic coin to carry an Arabic inscription was the new Islamic currency, known as dinar. They are similar in both weight and size to the Byzantine solidus. The design of the testimony of Islam was written in Arabic “In the name of Allah, there is no deity but God, He is One; Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” Islamic coins are the representation form of Islam, such as the Arabic inscription in the Umayyid coins says that: “In the name of Allah.” Islam encourages us to live with love and harmony and spread happiness everywhere. The best way to spread love is through gift-giving activities. To make your place in your loved one’s heart, you can give them the best Islamic gifts such as Quran, Prayer mats, etc.
1. The Islamic Coin from 1-100 AH/622-719 CE
When the Muslims defeated the Byzantine and Sassanian empires, the need to administer the conquered territories came. The Muslims from Arabia does not have a proper system like that of the two other kingdoms. So, the best recourse for them was to establish and maintain the administrative systems just like other conquerors before and after. The early Muslims inherited two different types of administrative systems from the two conquered empires. Therefore, they had to maintain two parallel administrative systems in the east and another in the west. These two systems differed in their languages, monetary systems and controls, and culture. Muslims maintained two parallel systems for over 50 years until the Umayyad caliph’ Abd-al Malik reforms.
Muslims used the existing monetary systems before the Abd-al-Malik reforms. Some argue that they did in the Sasanian domain former, as Muslims started striking coinage immediately. Some of them think that Muslims did not stroke coins in the Byzantine realms until the Abd-al-Malik reign. However, before the advent of Abd-al-Malik was very complex. Therefore, the middles ground appears to be appropriate as the era of coinage. Then both in the east and west, the Islamic empire starts to make its presence known by the coins that circulate in their domains. The changes were minor and with the addition of short Arabic phrases and the addition of hijra dates.
These lasted until the reform of the directorial system by Abd-al Malik accomplishment who united it in Arabic. Then the coinage changed drastically to what we essentially known as Islamic coins. New coins asserted Allah oneness and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as His last Messenger.
2. Types of Islamic Coins:
Following are the types of Islamic coins:
2.1 Umayyad Coins (661-750CE):
Under the Islamic rule, policy to unify the various regions, caliph Abd-al Malik ibn Marwan introduced the first coin known as Umayyad gold coins. Within a short period, these Islamic coins replaced all Byzantine and Sassanian coins in Muslim lands. Thus, in Islam coin, Umayyad has its important value.
2.2 Abbasid Coins (750-1258CE):
The Abbasid Dynasty did experiments with different kinds of coins. By using a more elegant form of Kufi script, improve the appearance of coins. The legends and size of legends on the dinars were also changed to include two margins.
2.3 Andalusian Coins (711-1494CE):
When Muslims entered Spain in 711CE, they minted their first Arabic gold coins. After the Arab-Byzantine, the new coins were modeled in size and design. However, the inscriptions were in Latin. In the center of the observed field, a prominent star distinguished the Spanish Islamic coin from the Arab-Latin one.
2.4 Fatimid Coins (909-1171CE):
Fatima Arabic coins were of high quality and abundant that they became the widest spread trade coins of the Mediterranean world. Therefore, when the Crusaders captured Palestine, they copied the contemporary Fatimid coins instead of striking their own.
3. Islam and Gift-giving
A common Muslim saying is Tahaabu, tahaadu that means, “Give gifts to spread love to one another.” We have many stories of our Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) giving and receiving gifts like clothing, livestock, etc. Gift-giving is an act of kindness, respect, and love towards your loved ones and Allah.
3.1 Best Islamic gifts ideas:
Following are the few best Islamic gift ideas that you can give to your loved ones:
- Quran: Quran is the holy book of Muslims. Nothing can be a productive gift than the sacred book Quran. You can buy a Quran with a wooden Quran stand. Gift Quran with translation.
- Hijab: For a Muslim woman, it is an excellent gift. Hijab increases the beauty of women. You can gift her a set of abaya with beautiful hijabs.
- Prayer Mats: You can give customized prayer mats. Buy padded prayer mats that are easily available in the market.
- Qibla Finder: If someone is a traveler you want to gift something, give them a Qibla finder. You can provide a Qibla compass that will help them to find out the right direction of Qibla.
- Islamic Wall Arts: Your home should be a reflection of your personality. Gift them Islamic wall arts such as Allah’s name calligraphy.
Conclusion:
Islamic coins have their importance in the Islamic world. They are representative of our culture and tradition. Therefore, we should keep them to keep our culture alive. Islam is the religion of peace and emphasizes spreading the love with each other. Gift-giving is the act of love and the best way to show your love for another person. Choose Islamic gifts that are productive and unique in their ways. Gift Islamic is the best online store of Islamic products, and you can buy from them and offer 25 percent of your shopping considered charity. So go and become a part of the charity.
