The year was 800 AD, Baghdad was the richest city on Earth. Not because of Oil . Not because of War. Because of One Word.
Arabs called it: Tijara = أهل مهنة (The Act of Buying and Selling and exchanging goods. One of the Most Fundamental world in Arabic and in Islam. They didn’t just sell things. They understood why people buy.
Qahwah equals Coffee in Arabic. قهوة
The Most Successful business deal in History was written in Arabic. Most people don’t know that. Neither did I, until I read the Story.
Arab Merchants didn’t just travel aimlessly. They were traveling remnants paths of the old Silk Road. Traveling and camping along the Silk Road from Spain to China Coast. Crossing Deserts and Oceans ON TRUST ALONE.
Before Contracts existed, they had a different system. They Called it: Amana (أمانة) translates to “trust,” “fidelity,” or “moral integrity”. Trust. Giving someone your wealth and trusting them to return it. No Paper. No Signature needed.
This is the first documented BANKING SYSTEM built on a single word in Arabic.
Europe had nothing like this. There system was documented in other books and stories. While Baghdad merchants were writing credit letters across continents, Europe was still trading in cattle. The language of Money was Arabic. Here is one word that cemented finance.
“Sakk” (صك) is an Arabic word meaning “certificate,” “deed,” or “legal instrument”. It is the root of the modern English word “check” and the plural of Sukuk—which are Shariah-compliant financial certificates that function similarly to bonds.
Every time you write a Checque, you are using Arabic. Here’s what school never taught you: The words “Tariff, “Magazine”, “cotton”, “Algebra”, “Alcohol” ALL ARABIC
The Modern World didn’t replace Arabic. It was built on top of it.
Arabs had a word for Ambition: Himma (هِمَّة) is an Arabic word meaning ambition, zeal, and intense resolve. It describes a deep, driving inner motivation—not just wishing for a goal, but putting your entire mind and effort into achieving it. The drive that refuses to settle. The inner fire that keeps you building, even when no one is watching.
Every driven person you admire carries Himma هِمَّة in them.
Today, the Arab World controls: $3trillion in Sovereign wealth. 22 countries. 420 Million People.
Almost every major deal in this region still starts with one sentence spoken in Arabic. FURSA هِمَّة = Opportunity. But with urgency. The Window that opens once and doesn’t wait for you.
Right now, Arabic is a Fursa. Most people haven’t noticed yet.
The World’s fastest-growing markets are in the Arab World. Dubai, Riyadh, Cairo, Doha.
The People Closing transactions there aren’t always the smartest in the room. They’re the ones who spoke first. In Arabic. They say Arabic is the language of trade, trust, and ambition.
I do hope you learned a few thing here in today’s post. It was different that what I am used to writing about. However? It’s absolutely Markets related. And deserved to be explored and shared. Arabic has a special place inside my personal life and future. Shukran. Inshallah! شكراً إن شاء الله
Jameson Sharp