Arabic Abjad Numerals (أبجد)
What is Arabic Abjad?
The Abjad numerals, also called Hisab al-Jummal (حساب الجُمَّل), is an ancient alphanumeric code that assigns numerical values to the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet. This system has been used for over a millennium in Arabic literature, Islamic mysticism (especially Sufism), Quran interpretation (ta'wil), and traditional chronograms.
Similar to Hebrew Gematria and Greek Isopsephy, the Abjad system assigns values from 1 to 1000 to Arabic letters, allowing scholars and mystics to explore hidden meanings in sacred texts and discover numerical relationships between words.
The Arabic Abjad Alphabet
The Abjad order is different from the modern Arabic alphabetical order. It follows the ancient Semitic letter sequence and is grouped by numerical magnitude:
Units (1-9)
Tens (10-90)
Hundreds (100-1000)
Historical and Cultural Significance
Islamic Mysticism (Sufism)
In Sufi tradition, the Abjad system is considered a sacred key to unlock deeper meanings in the Quran and Islamic texts. Scholars like Al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi explored numerical patterns in divine names (Asma al-Husna) and Quranic verses to understand spiritual truths.
Chronograms (Tarikh)
Arabic poets and scribes used Abjad values to encode dates in verses and inscriptions. By calculating the Abjad value of a phrase, they could memorialize important events artistically, a practice still found in historical architecture and manuscripts.
Medieval Science and Mathematics
Before the adoption of Hindu-Arabic numerals, Abjad was used for mathematical calculations, accounting, and astronomical tables across the Islamic Golden Age. It served as both a writing system and a computational tool.
Examples in Arabic
Allah (الله)
ا (1) + ل (30) + ل (30) + ه (5) = 66
Muhammad (محمد)
م (40) + ح (8) + م (40) + د (4) = 92
Quran (قرآن)
ق (100) + ر (200) + ا (1) + ن (50) = 351
Salam (سلام) - Peace
س (60) + ل (30) + ا (1) + م (40) = 131
Nur (نور) - Light
ن (50) + و (6) + ر (200) = 256
Using the Calculator
Our Arabic Abjad calculator allows you to:
- Calculate Abjad values for any Arabic text
- Find words and phrases with matching numerical values
- Explore connections between Arabic words through their Abjad equivalence
- Discover chronograms and historical date encodings
- Study Islamic mystical texts with numerical analysis
Type any Arabic word or phrase into the calculator above, or use the romanized transliteration, and discover its Abjad value and related words.
Related Systems
Start Calculating
Try the Arabic Abjad calculator with famous Islamic terms, Quranic verses, or any Arabic text. Discover the numerical patterns that have fascinated scholars for centuries.
Try "سلام" (Peace) → 131