What is Abjad? From letters to numbers
Abjad is the ancient order in which every Arabic letter carries a fixed number — Alif is 1, Ba is 2, and Ghain is 1000. Adding the values of a name's letters gives its name number.
This order is recited in eight groups: Abjad, Hawwaz, Hutti, Kalaman, Sa'fas, Qarashat, Thakhaz, Dazgoh. In the classical method a person's name is read together with their mother's name, because tradition holds the mother's name closest to a person's true identity. Reducing the total to 9 gives its root; the remainder on dividing by four gives the element: fire, air, water or earth — the four basic states of temperament.
| Letter | Value |
|---|---|
| ا | 1 |
| ب | 2 |
| ج | 3 |
| د | 4 |
| ہ | 5 |
| و | 6 |
| ز | 7 |
| ح | 8 |
| ط | 9 |
| ی | 10 |
| ک | 20 |
| ل | 30 |
| م | 40 |
| ن | 50 |
| س | 60 |
| ع | 70 |
| ف | 80 |
| ص | 90 |
| ق | 100 |
| ر | 200 |
| ش | 300 |
| ت | 400 |
| ث | 500 |
| خ | 600 |
| ذ | 700 |
| ض | 800 |
| ظ | 900 |
| غ | 1000 |
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