ISLAMIC, 'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. Al-Rashid, AH 170-193 / AD 786-809. Half Dirham (Silver, 19 mm, 1.40 g, 10 h), a donative issue citing Muhammad, the son of the caliph Harun al-Rashid and Zubayda ibn Ja'far and future caliph al-Amin. He is cited as Wali al-'Ahd and ibn Amir al-Mu'minin. Madinat al-Salam, AH 175 = AD 791/792. In inner field, 'No God but Allah, He is alone, He has no associate' (in Kufic); around, 'Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He. He is trustworthy. He is the Lord of the Great Throne' (in Kufic).
Rev. In inner field, 'For the successor [by virtue of] a covenant Muhammad, son of the Commander of the Faithful' (in Kufic); in outer margin, 'Muhammad is the Prophet of Allah who sent him with guidance and the religion of truth that he might make it supreme over all other religions, even though the polytheists may detest it' (in Kufic). Album -. Of the highest rarity, apparently the third known example. The flan somewhat wavy and with light marks
, otherwise, good very fine.
From the Tabib Collection, formed over the past 40 years.
This extremely rare and important donative dirham commemorates Harun al-Rashid's hesitating decision to replace his oldest and favorite son Abdallah (the future caliph al-Mamun) as the heir to the throne with Muhammad, the son of Zubayda ibn Ja'far and future caliph al-Amin. The controversial choice was made under the influence of Muhammad's famous mother Zubayda, a granddaughter of the caliph al-Mansur, who actively lobbied among the army and the court in support of her son.
Struck specifically to commemorate the caliph's groundbreaking decision, the coin calls Muhammad the 'son of the Commander of the Faithful' and 'successor [by virtue of] a covenant'. It also bears a remarkable quotation from the Quran through which Harun expresses his trust in Allah regarding the righteousness of his decision: he is called 'trustworthy' and 'the Lord of the Great Throne' - one can almost feel the caliph's doubts and hesitation, and history would prove him right, as Abdallah never accepted his deposition and would stirr up a rebellion after his father's demise, which resulted in a civil war and the capture and execution of Muhammad/al-Amin on 27 September 813.
