al-Andalus (Spain). Mujahids. Iqbal al-Dawla 'Ali ibn Mujahid, AH 436-468 / AD 1045-1076. Dirham (Silver, 23 mm, 5.48 g, 1 h), Daniya (Dénia), date effaced. Citing Muʿizz al-Dawla Muhammad, ‘Muʿizz al-Dawla / lā ilāha illā / Allāh waḥdahū / lā sharīka lahū / Muḥammad’ (‘There is no deity but Allah, the One, there is no partner to Him. Muʿizz al-Dawla Muhammad’ in Arabic); illegible mint and date formula in the margin. Rev. Citing the deceased Spanish Umayyad caliph Hisham II (AH 366-403 / AD 976-1013), ‘Iqbāl / al-imām Hishām / amīr al-muʾminīn / al-Dawla’ (‘Imam Hisham, Commander of the Believers. Iqbal al-Dawla’ in Arabic), in the margin, very weak traces of ‘Muḥammad rasūl Allāh arsalahū bi al-hudā wa dīn al-ḥaqq liyuẓhirahū ʿalā al-dīn kullih’ (‘Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. He sent him with guidance and the religion of truth, so that He may make it overcome all religions’ in Arabic). Album 381.3. Very rare and of great historical interest. Crude strike and with some deposits, otherwise, very fine.


Ali Iqbāl al‑Dawla ruled the Taifa of Dénia from AD 1045 to 1076, succeeding his father Mujāḥid al‑Amīrī. Mujāḥid, originally a Slavic slave (Saqāliba), had risen through the ranks in Islamic Spain to become the founder of this independent taifa. His son Ali inherited both the throne and the legacy of a dynasty that had its roots in slavery. The Saqāliba were often Christian captives from Europe who were converted to Islam and sometimes gained significant political power. Under Ali’s rule, Dénia maintained its independence and continued to thrive as a maritime and trading hub. The government tolerated and taxed non-Muslim communities, showing a pragmatic approach to diversity. The dynasty's origins in slavery highlight the unique social mobility possible in some parts of the Islamic world. This coin minted under Ali thus reflects not only political authority but also a remarkable story of ascension from servitude to sovereignty.