Numismatic Description of the Coin
This coin is an epigraphic silver dirham issued during the post-reform Umayyad Caliphate (specifically during the reign of Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik, r. 715–717 CE / 96–99 AH). Introduced under Caliph Abd al-Malik in 77 AH (696 CE), this strictly epigraphic design replaced earlier iconographic coinage with purely Quranic Arabic text in early Kufic script.
Obverse (Left View)
Central Field: Contains three horizontal lines declaring the primary statement of Islamic monotheism (Shahada):
لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ
(There is no god but Allah alone; He has no associate.)
Marginal Inscription: A circular Kufic legend specifying the mint location and Hijri date of manufacture, framed by concentric rings:
بِسْمِ اللهِ ضُرِبَ هٰذَا الدِّرْهَمُ بواسط سَنَةَ سَبْعٍ وَتِسْعِينَ
(In the name of Allah, this dirham was struck in Wasit in the year Ninety Seven)
Reverse (Right View)
Central Field: Features four horizontal lines citing Surah al-Ikhlas (Quran 112:1–3):
اللهُ أَحَدٌ اللهُ
الصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ
وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ
يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(Allah is One, Allah the Eternal. He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.)
Marginal Inscription: Contains the Prophetic Mission Formula (Prophetic Shahada) based on Surah at-Tawbah (Quran 9:33):
مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللهِ أَرْسَلَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ
(Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, sent with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religions.)
Historical Background of Caliph Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik
Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik (c. 675 – 717 CE / 96–99 AH) was the 7th Umayyad Caliph, ruling from 715 CE until his death in 717 CE.
Governorship of Palestine & Ramla: Before becoming caliph, Sulayman served as the long-time governor of Jund Filastin (Palestine). During his governorship, he founded the city of Ramla, establishing it as the administrative capital of Palestine.
Political Reforms: Upon acceding to the caliphate after his brother al-Walid I, Sulayman reversed several policies of the powerful eastern governor al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf. He dismissed and prosecuted many of al-Hajjaj's handpicked generals while releasing political prisoners across Iraq.
Siege of Constantinople: His short reign was dominated by military preparations for the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople (717–718 CE). Sulayman dispatched a massive land and naval campaign led by his brother Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik to assault the Byzantine capital.
Succession Legacy: On his deathbed at Dabiq, on the advice of the scholar Raja ibn Haywa, Sulayman nominated his pious cousin 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz ('Umar II) as his successor instead of his own brothers or sons. This decision is widely praised in Islamic historical tradition, as 'Umar II went on to become one of the most revered rulers in Islamic history.
In the year 97 AH (corresponding to 715–716 CE), several significant historical events took place during the caliphate of Sulayman ibn Abd al-Malik:
1. Launch of the Massive Campaign Against Constantinople
Preparations for the Siege: Year 97 AH marked the peak of military preparations for the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople (717–718 CE).
Mobilization: Sulayman mobilized a massive land army and a naval fleet at Dabiq (in northern Syria), placing his brother, the famed general Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik, in command to advance across Anatolia toward the Byzantine capital.
2. Death of Qutayba ibn Muslim and Conquests in the East
Rebellion and Downfall: In 97 AH, Qutayba ibn Muslim, the governor and conqueror of Transoxiana (Central Asia), attempted a rebellion against Caliph Sulayman due to fears of being replaced after the death of his patron, al-Hajjaj.
Assassination: His own troops turned against him, and he was killed in Fergana in 97 AH. This halted the eastward expansion toward China temporarily, though it consolidated central Umayyad authority over Khorasan.
3. Expansion in North Africa and Al-Andalus
Consolidation in Spain: Following the recall of Musa ibn Nusayr and Tariq ibn Ziyad to Damascus, Abd al-Aziz ibn Musa (Musa's son) governed Al-Andalus in 97 AH, establishing Seville as its administrative capital and continuing regional consolidation.
Assassination of Abd al-Aziz: In late 97 AH (716 CE), Caliph Sulayman ordered the execution of Abd al-Aziz in Seville over suspicions of seeking independent royal rule, installing Ayyub ibn Habib al-Lakhmi in his place.
4. Establishment of Ramla as a Regional Center
Founding of Ramla: During his governorship of Jund Filastin and into his caliphate (around 95–97 AH), Sulayman founded the city of Ramla in Palestine, building its grand mosque (the White Mosque) and administrative palaces, effectively shifting the administrative capital of Palestine away from Lydda (Ludd).
