A GOLD DINAR OF THE CITY OF GHAZNI

A.H . 616. ACTUAL SIZE . DIRHAM ( درهم‎ ). Greek δραχμή . A silver coin, the shape of which resembled that of a date stone. During the caliphate of ʿUmar, it was changed into a circular form; and in the time of Zubair, it was impre ed with the words Allāh , “God,” barakah , “ble ing.” Ḥajjāj stamped upon it the chapter of the Qurʾān called Ik͟hlāṣ (cxii.), and others say he imprinted it with his own name. Various accounts are given of their weights; some saying that they were of ten, or nine, or six, or five mis̤qāls ; whilst others give the weights of twenty, twelve, and ten qīrāt̤s , a erting at the same time that ʿUmar had taken a dirham of each kind, and formed a coin of fourteen qīrāt̤s , being the third part of the aggregate sum. (Blochmann’s Aīn-i-Akbari , p. 36.) The dirham , although it is frequently mentioned in books of law, only occurs once in the Qurʾān, Sūrah xii. 20 , “And they sold him (Joseph) for a mean price, dirhams counted out, and they parted with him cheaply.” DIRRAH ( درة‎ ). Vulg. durr ah . A scourge made either of a flat piece of leather or of twisted thongs, and used by the public censor of morals and religion, called the muḥtasib . This scourge is inflicted either for the omi ion of the daily prayer, or for the committal of sins, which are punishable by the law with the infliction of stripes, such as fornication, scandal, and drunkenne . It is related that the K͟halīfah ʿUmar punished his son with the dirrah for drunkenne , and that he died from its effects. ( Tarikh-i-K͟hamīs , vol. ii. p. 252.) The word used in the Qurʾān and Ḥadīs̤ for this scourge is jaldah , and in theological works, saut̤ ; but dirrah is now the word generally used amongst modern Muslims. IMG:3048615538088815629_p085-3.png:A DIRRAH USED BY A MUHTASIB IN THE PESHAWAR VALLEY. A DIRRAH USED BY A MUHTASIB IN THE PESHAWAR VALLEY.