Reflection on the Umayyad Dinars

Reflecting on my Scribal Object, there is so much I have learned since that first post, and the information and knowledge I have acquired since then has allowed to see my object in a new light, and reflect and elaborate more on the life of my object. As a reminder, I picked the Umayyad Dinars, Islamic gold coins of the Medieval age with inscriptions of verses of the Qur’an written in Arabic. As we had learned in class, the Scribe of the Middle ages transcribed on many materials: papyrus was the most common, as well as parchment. But often times, the Scribe wrote on other significant items as well, including Monumental objects, vessels, tiles and in this coins. The dinar was (and is to this day) the currency of the Islamic World. For the most part, words written on objects centered around the pillar and foundation of the Islamic World in the Middle Age, the Qur’an, “one of the earliest objects of scribal art” (Gruendler, 7) as well as “the basis for the formulation of Muslim ritual and law” (Gruendler, 8). The Qur’an, the religious text and foundation of Islam, was the pillar of the Islamic World in the Middle Ages, and was an intricate and prominent aspect of the lives of the people in the Islamic World: their entire lives centered around the text.

So as I had stated in my first post, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise that text of the Qur’an would be inscribed on the currency of the Islamic World at this time. On the obverse of one dinar states “There is no god but God alone. He has no partner. Muhammad is the messenger of God, who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth so that he may proclaim it above all religions” (Qur’an 9:33). Since this time I have been able to explore and read the Qur’an in order to better understand why this verse might have been used. I learned that this same verse is repeated only three times in the Qur’an and essentially embodies the core message of the Qur’an itself. It is a verse of great gravity in the Islamic World, and would have been something everyone immersed in the teachings of the Qur’an would know. The second dinar presented in the reverse expressed another text found in the Qur’an “God is One. God is eternal. He begets not, nor is he begotten” (Qur’an 112:1). This expression would oppose the other polytheistic religions of the time, and even opposed the Christian view of God regarding Trinitarianism (The three persons of God). The Qur’an was a core aspect of the Middle Ages of the Islamic World: the text written on this coin would have been something familiar to one living in during this time period. The text itself is written in Arabic, the language of the Prophet Muhammad. As stated prior, this is an Umayyad Dinar: the Umayyad dynasty was one of the first great Muslim dynasties, as well as was an Arab Kingdom.

Since my first post, I learned the process in which coins such as these were made. It involved taking melted metal and inserting it into a mold with the intention of making coin blanks. The molded metal would be then taken out mold. These blank coins would be solid, but still malleable. The coin would be placed between dies and smashed, leaving an imprint of the desired text, script or image on the coin. From one of my professors I learned of the first ruler of the Umayyad Dynasty, the Caliph Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, was the individual who orchestrated the creation of the Islamic coin, the golden dinar. Now discussing the coin’s practical uses, it would have been used for commercial exchange for goods and services, and those living in the Umayyad Dynasty would recognize this coin as a currency approved and made by their rulers. The language choice of the coin would reflect the official language of the kingdom at that time as well. Thus, the choice of Arabic used on the coin as well as the choice of text written on the coin expresses a prevalent message that would have had significant meaning in the lives of the people who lived their lives according the teachings written in the Qur’an.

Since my first scribal object post, I have been able to read portions of the Qur’an as well as have familiarized myself with Islamic texts to some extent. Especially the Hadith. Although one may see this as just a coin, the history surrounding the coin and the time period it comes from is rich in information and reveals a great deal of history. I hope in the future that the knowledge I have gained since will allow me to better understand Medieval text in the Islamic World and in general the life of objects in the Middle Ages.