Mithqāl (Arabic:مثقال) is a unit of mass equal to 4.25 grams (0.137 ozt) which is mostly used for measuring precious metals, such asgold, and other commodities, likesaffron.
The name was also applied as an alternative term for thegold dinar, a coin that was used throughout much of theIslamic world from the 8th century onward and survived in parts of Africa until the 19th century.[1] The name ofMozambique's currency since 1980, themetical, is derived frommithqāl.[2]
The wordmithqāl (Arabic:مثقال; “weight, unit of weight”) comes from the Arabicthaqala (ثقل), meaning “to weigh” (cf.Hebrew:שקל,romanized: shekel). Other variants of the unit in English includemiskal (fromPersian orUrduمثقال;misqāl),mithkal, mitkal andmitqal.
InIndia, the measurement is known asmithqaal. It contains 4mashas and 3½raties (rata'ii; مثقال).[3]
It is equivalent to 4.25 grams when measuringgold,[4] or 4.5 grams when measuring commodities.[5] It may be more or less than this.[6]
A gold coin minted inNikki, Benin and known as the mithqal was in wide circulation inWest Africa in the 18th century, particularly the Niger bend. It was useable in the trans-Saharan trade and coexisted with the use ofcowries asshell money.[7]
| Unit | Mithqāl | Gold dinar | Dirham | Gram | Troy ounce | Ounce | Grain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mithqāl | 1 | 1 | 0.70 | 4.25 | 0.13664 | 0.14991 | 65.5875 |
The mithqāl in another more modern calculation is as follows:
| Unit | Mithqāl | Nākhud | Gram | Troy ounce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mithqāl | 1 | 19 | 3.642 | 0.117 |
Nakhud is aBaháʼí unit of mass used byBahá'u'lláh.[8] The mithqāl had originally consisted of 24 nakhuds, but in theBayán, the collective works of theBáb, this was reduced to 19.[9]
