2021-06-10 Thu

As-Saffah – The founder of the Abbasid Caliphate The Abbasids were the third and one of the longest and most important Caliphates of Islamic history. They are descended from Muhammad's uncle, Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, from whom the dynasty takes its name. The first Caliph to ruled Abbasid Caliphate, Abul Abbas Al Saffah died on 10th June 754. His four-year reign (750 to 754 AD) marked with efforts to consolidate and rebuild the caliphate.

As-Saffah was born in 721 in Humeima (Modern Day Jordan). He traced his ancestry to Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, a great grandfather of Muhammad via Abbas, an uncle of Muhammad. He established Kufa as the new capital of the caliphate, ending the dominance of Damascus in the Islamic political world. During his reign, Iraq became the seat of Abbasid power. Caliph Abu al-Abbas Abdullah as-Saffa? died of smallpox on June 10, 754.

Their coins differed slightly from those of their precursors, the Umayyads. As Saffah issued gold and silver coins in the denominations of Dinar and Dirham. These coins were struck at various mints such as Al Basra, Al Kufa, Dimashq, and Ardashir Khura. The above shown silver Dirham was issued in the reign of Caliph Al-Saffah. The obverse a coin depicts the Persian legend which translated as ‘In The Name of God. This dirham was struck in al-Kufa in the year 132’. The reverse showed the legend ‘Muhammad is the messenger of God’.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org