# What do the Arabic inscriptions on this ring mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 9, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714 "2008-05-09T16:32:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/1 "2008-05-09T16:32:10Z")
Just curious what the inscriptions mean. Looks like a school or fraternal ring. [Pic 1](http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p5090831ze1.jpg) [Pic 2](http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p5090833ah2.jpg) [Pic 3](http://img329.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p5090834hu4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/2 "2008-05-09T16:39:20Z")
The language is that of Persia, which I will not utter here. 1. It’s upside down and it’s hurting my eyes. 2. Are you sure it’s Arabic and not Farsi? it’s been a long time, but some of the characters don’t look Arabic to me. Where’d you get it? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/3 "2008-05-09T16:45:14Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] The language is that of Persia, which I will not utter here. 1. It’s upside down and it’s hurting my eyes. 2. Are you sure it’s Arabic and not Farsi? it’s been a long time, but some of the characters don’t look Arabic to me. Where’d you get it? [/QUOTE] Thrift shop. I thought it was a Masonic ring or something. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/4 "2008-05-09T16:51:09Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] The language is that of Persia, which I will not utter here. 1. It’s upside down and it’s hurting my eyes. [/QUOTE] [Here pic 4](http://img386.imageshack.us/my.php?image=p5090836nl2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/5 "2008-05-09T16:54:01Z")
Not a Masonic ring. I got all those. Let me take the photos into the office tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4da419/32.png) [@Gala\_Matrix\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gala_Matrix_Fire)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/6 "2008-05-09T17:35:07Z")
The big word in the middle is “God.” (Allah) At top and bottom it says “God is great.” (Allahu akbar) It looks like it says “Muhammad” on one side, but that photo is still upside down. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/7 "2008-05-09T18:06:36Z")
It’s Elvish. Something about One Ring to Rule Them All…It’s probably worth nothing. StG ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/8 "2008-05-09T19:22:16Z")
[QUOTE=Inigo Montoya] The language is that of Persia, which I will not utter here. 1. It’s upside down and it’s hurting my eyes. 2. Are you sure it’s Arabic and not Farsi? it’s been a long time, but some of the characters don’t look Arabic to me. Where’d you get it? [/QUOTE] The emblem in the center is very similar, although not identical, to the [Coat of Arms of Iran.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emblem_of_Iran) (“_La ilaha illa Allah_”: There is no God but Allah.) ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/9 "2008-05-09T19:47:25Z")
“Muhammad” at least on one side, if not both (I have a hard enough time with the fancier scripts, let alone upside down/sideways). Kaaba on one side (the covering of the center of the Qibla) and outside of the holy masjid on the other. Tradition is that Muhammad used a silver ring to wax-seal documents, letters, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2008, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/10 "2008-05-09T20:18:58Z")
1. _Ash nazg durbatuluk_ 2. (Trans.) “Property of Abdul Alhazred. With this ring I can control the Great Old Ones.” 3. (Trans.) “Made in Hong Kong” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/11 "2008-05-10T13:48:41Z")
I passed it around the office. The guys said the center simply says “God” with the surrounding inscription giving one of His names (The Merciful et. al.). As notes the sides show the Cube in Mecah and the Mosque of the Rock (I cannot recall how we say that). Under both is a hard-to-read word. We think both say “Mohammed.” As noted, Muslim men tend to wear rings, as did the Prophet. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/12 "2008-05-10T15:12:57Z")
Thanks to you, and thanks to everyone for info. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2008, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-the-arabic-inscriptions-on-this-ring-mean/448714/13 "2008-05-10T15:27:08Z")
Do none of you have image-viewing software that can flip a picture? Both GQview and xzgv can handle that much even though they aren’t image-editing programs. (Hey, at least I’m not making fun of you for not flipping your monitors upside-down, though with flat-screens that isn’t a big deal.)