Discover the meaning of the term Al-thmn (ثمن) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 3 min readThe two currencies, that is, gold and silver, coined or not.
The name of what the seller takes in exchange for the sold, whether a body or merchandise; whatever serves as compensation for a thing is its 'thaman'; plurals: athman and athmun. 'He raised the price of the merchandise (athmana sil'atahu)' and 'he paid him its price (athmana lahu)': to give him its price. 'He increased the price (athmana lahu)': to increase it for him. 'A thing thamin (precious)': of great price.
'The thing: to take its price'. 'The thing, thamana': its price rose, and it is 'thamin'; 'its rank rose'. 'Al-thaman': the compensation taken by mutual consent in exchange for the sale, whether a body or merchandise. 'The value of everything': that is the view of al-Layth and al-Harawi; al-Shafi'i used it so. In the noble hadith: 'Whoever frees his share in a slave, and has enough to pay the slave's price, must have the slave valued justly, give his partners their shares, then free him; otherwise he frees only what he could free'. The thaman intended in this text is the value. Among the Hanafis, Shafi'is, and Ibadis: what the two contracting parties agreed upon; it is what is fixed as debt upon the exchange, namely the two currencies (gold and silver) and equivalents (mithliyyat) when determined and exchanged for bodies, or undetermined but accompanied by the letter 'b' ('I sold such goods for such a price'). In the Majalla (art. 152): what serves as compensation for the sold and attaches to the debt. (Art. 153): 'the thaman musamma' is the price the two contractors name and fix at the time of sale by mutual consent, whether matching its real value, or less, or more. Among the Hanafis, Shafi'is, and Ibadis it differs from value; al-Shafi'i and some Hanafis used it in the sense of value.
The name of what the seller takes in exchange for the sale, whether a body or merchandise; whatever serves as compensation for a thing is its thaman (al-Mufradat p. 82).
What serves as compensation for the sold and attaches to the debt, whether immediate or deferred.
﴿وَءَامِنُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلَا تَكُونُوٓا۟ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍۭ بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَا تَشْتَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِى ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًۭا وَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱتَّقُونِ﴾
« And believe in what I have sent down confirming that which is [already] with you, and be not the first to disbelieve in it. And do not exchange My signs for a small price, and fear [only] Me. »
Surah البقرة : 41
﴿فَوَيْلٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمَّ يَقُولُونَ هَـٰذَا مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَشْتَرُوا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًۭا ۖ فَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌۭ لَّهُم مِّمَّا يَكْسِبُونَ﴾
« So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn. »
Surah البقرة : 79
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَيَشْتَرُونَ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا ۙ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مَا يَأْكُلُونَ فِى بُطُونِهِمْ إِلَّا ٱلنَّارَ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
« Indeed, they who conceal what Allah has sent down of the Book and exchange it for a small price - those consume not into their bellies except the Fire. And Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them. And they will have a painful punishment. »
Surah البقرة : 174
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَشْتَرُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّهِ وَأَيْمَـٰنِهِمْ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَا خَلَـٰقَ لَهُمْ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَلَا يُكَلِّمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَلَا يَنظُرُ إِلَيْهِمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ وَلَا يُزَكِّيهِمْ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« Indeed, those who exchange the covenant of Allah and their [own] oaths for a small price will have no share in the Hereafter, and Allah will not speak to them or look at them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He purify them; and they will have a painful punishment. »
Surah آل عمران : 77
﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُۥ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُۥ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَآءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًۭا ۖ فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ﴾
« And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], "You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it." But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. And wretched is that which they purchased. »
Surah آل عمران : 187
﴿وَإِنَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَمَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ خَـٰشِعِينَ لِلَّهِ لَا يَشْتَرُونَ بِـَٔايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ثَمَنًۭا قَلِيلًا ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ﴾
« And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them, [being] humbly submissive to Allah. They do not exchange the verses of Allah for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in account. »
Surah آل عمران : 199
This term appears in 14 verses of the Quran.