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Why did Abd al-Malik introduce an Arabic coinage?

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World map showing the global distribution of Islam, with countries shaded in varying tones of green to indicate the estimated percentage of the population practicing Islam. Darkest green represents countries with 95-100 percent Muslim populations, including much of North Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Central and South Asia. Lighter greens show lower percentages, while most of Europe, the Americas, Australia, and East Asia are shaded to indicate less than 25 percent Muslim population.
Islamic world

The fifth Umayyad caliph, Abd al-Malik, introduced an Arabic coinage toward the end of the 7th century to align the empire's currency with the principles of Islam.1

Prior to this reform, the early Islamic state had largely mimicked the coinage of its predecessors, using Byzantine-style gold and copper pieces in the west and Sāsānian-style silver dirhams in the east. By instituting a new, "reformed" coinage, Abd al-Malik replaced these imitative designs with coins featuring skillfully arranged Qurʾānic inscriptions and the Muslim profession of faith, rather than pictorial types.1

This initiative was part of a broader program of Arabization implemented by the caliph to centralize authority within the Islamic world. By establishing an official Arabic coinage, he reinforced the cultural and administrative identity of the empire, complementing his efforts to make Arabic the official language of administration.2