Who was the first to introduce the currency coin in Islamic history?

Explanation

Abdul Malik bin Marwan (r. 685–705 CE) was the fifth Umayyad Caliph who introduced the first purely Islamic coinage around 696 CE. Before his reign, the Muslim state used Byzantine and Sassanian coins. He replaced these with Arabic-inscribed gold dinars and silver dirhams, removing all images and featuring Islamic inscriptions, including the Kalima and Quranic verses. This numismatic reform was a significant step in establishing a distinct Islamic identity and independent economic system.

Good to know

Abdul Malik bin Marwan's coinage reform around 77 AH (696 CE) marked the first time coins were minted exclusively with Arabic inscriptions in Islamic history. The gold coin was called "dinar" and the silver coin "dirham." These coins bore Islamic declarations of faith and Quranic verses instead of the previously used Byzantine and Persian imagery. This reform also helped standardize the economic system across the vast Umayyad Empire.

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