Ancient Arabic units of measurement

The Ancient Arabic unit of measurements were a system of using units to associate with physical quantities. Arabic symbols are used to represent the values. The measurements were based on body measurements and common natural items. The length of forearm, shin and the standard size of a typical village were among the most accepted length units. About surface, usually Jerib or Djerib was the most usual unit which is mostly similar to acre or hectare. Another unit known as Sa was mostly used to measure volume which is approximately equal to 3 liters. Although having similar names, the size of units may differ depending on region.

## Contents

* 1 Historical Background
* 2 Length
* 3 See also
* 4 References

## Historical Background

The origins of Arabic units can be traced to pre-Islamic Near Eastern and Mediterranean metrological traditions, gradually adapted through trade and administration under the early caliphates. These measures, originally derived from the human body—such as the finger, palm, and cubit—were later standardized through calibrated rods and balance instruments. [1] As commerce and architecture expanded across the Islamic world, metrology (ʿilm al-athqāl, the science of weights and measures) emerged as a formal discipline supported by scholars, artisans, and officials.

From the 9th century onward, Arabic scientific works treated measurement as a branch of applied mathematics. Instruments like the balance (mīzān) and the steelyard (qarasṭūn) were refined for accuracy in markets and laboratories alike. These systems were also applied in astronomy and geography, where units such as the Arabic mile (al-mīl) were used in calculating the Earth's circumference and mapping travel distances between cities.

Although terminology was shared across regions, each province—such as the Hijaz, Iraq, Egypt, or al-Andalus—maintained local variants of the same unit. Historical documents and surviving artifacts show that standardization was a continuing concern, reflecting the scientific and administrative sophistication of the medieval Arabic-Islamic world.

## Length

إصبع  | ​1⁄16 Arabic foot  | ~2.25 cm  | A finger-length

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Qabḍhah قبضة  | ​1⁄4 Arabic foot  | ~9 cm  | A palm-length
Arabic foot قدم عربية  |  | ~32 cm  |
Dhira ذراع  | cubit: traditionally 2 Arabic feet, later ​1 1⁄2 Arabic feet  |  | Cubit
قامة  | fathom: 6 Arabic feet  | ~1.92 m  | A pace-length
Qaṣbah قصبة  | 12 Arabic feet  | ~3.84 m  | A cane-length
Seir | stade: 600 Arabic feet  | ~192 m  |
Ghalwah | 720 Arabic feet  | ~230.4 m  |
Parasang فرسخ  | parasang or league: 18,000 Arabic feet  | ~5.76 km  |
Barid بريد  | 4 parasang  | ~23.04 km  |
Marḥalah  مرحلة  | 8 parasang  | ~46.08 km  | A village-length.

## See also

* Uqiyyah, the Arabic ounce or half-pound, depending on region.
* Qafiz, an Arabic unit for measuring volumes.
* Sāʿ, an ancient unit of volume, equal to 2 to 4 liters, depending on region.
* The Arabic mile (al-mīl), a unit of length employed by Arab geographers and scientists.

## References

1. ↑ "Ancient Arabic Units of Measurement". https://www.metricunitconversions.com/p/arabic-units-of-measurement/1/.

* Encyclopaedia of Scientific Units, Weights, and Measures: Their SI Equivalences and Origins, Springer, 2003, pp. 76–78, ISBN 9781852336820, https://books.google.com/books?id=GV1aV7V7I00C&pg=RA1-PR31 .
* Zupko, Ronald and Chisholm, Lawrence James. "measurement system". Encyclopædia Britannica, 19 Nov. 2018, [1]. Accessed 10 December 2021.

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