Abjad-e-Kabir vs. Abjad-e-Saghir: Differences, Uses and Easy Examples

Have you ever calculated the number of a name and received two different answers?

For example, one calculator might show 92 for the name Muhammad (محمد), while another shows 20 or 2.

Why do the numbers change when the name is exactly the same?

One possible explanation is that the calculators are using different Abjad methods.

Two names you may come across are Abjad-e-Kabir and Abjad-e-Saghir.

Both belong to traditional letter-number calculations. But they do not necessarily assign the same numbers to letters.

In this guide, we will learn what each method means, why it was used, where it can be applied, and how to calculate simple words and names.

We will also discuss an important point: different traditional sources sometimes define Abjad-e-Saghir differently. Knowing the exact method is more useful than simply memorizing a final number.

1. What Is Abjad?

Abjad is an old system in which Arabic letters represent numbers.

The name comes from the first four letters in the traditional sequence:

ا — ب — ج — د

These letters have the values:

• ا = 1
• ب = 2
• ج = 3
• د = 4

When we add the numbers assigned to the letters in a word, we get a numerical total.

For example:

باب — Baab — Door

ب = 2, ا = 1, ب = 2

2 + 1 + 2 = 5

This is the basic idea behind Abjad calculation.

However, different calculation traditions may use the full values or reduced values of the letters.

That is where the distinction between Kabir and Saghir becomes useful.

2. What Is Abjad-e-Kabir?

Kabir means large or major.

Abjad-e-Kabir uses the familiar full numerical values of the 28 classical Arabic letters.

The values follow three main groups.

The first nine letters

ا = 1, ب = 2, ج = 3, د = 4, ه = 5, و = 6, ز = 7, ح = 8, ط = 9

The next nine letters

ي = 10, ك = 20, ل = 30, م = 40, ن = 50, س = 60, ع = 70, ف = 80, ص = 90

The remaining ten letters

ق = 100, ر = 200, ش = 300, ت = 400, ث = 500, خ = 600, ذ = 700, ض = 800, ظ = 900, غ = 1000

Notice the pattern.

The first group increases by ones.

The second group increases by tens.

The remaining group increases by hundreds, ending with 1000.

These are the commonly used Eastern, or Mashriqi, Abjad values.

Historical Western, or Maghribi, Abjad arrangements differ for some letters, so the convention should always be identified.

3. Why Was Abjad-e-Kabir Used?

Abjad-e-Kabir has a documented history as a letter-number system.

Before today's number-writing practices became widespread, alphabetic letters were sometimes used to express numbers.

Where was it applied?

Numerical notation: Letters could be used to write numerical values in certain records and texts.

Astronomical tables: Alphabetic numbers appeared in some historical astronomical materials.

Manuscript numbering: Abjad sequences could identify sections or pages.

Chronograms: Writers and poets created meaningful phrases whose letter totals represented particular years.

Traditional letter practices: Later symbolic and esoteric traditions also used Abjad values in various calculations.

What is its practical benefit today?

You can use Abjad-e-Kabir to read historical numerical notation, calculate letter totals, understand traditional poetry and check old manuscript calculations.

It also helps you understand numerical examples in traditional Ilm-ul-Huroof literature.

These are educational and mathematical uses. They do not establish that the numerical value of a name determines the person's future.

4. Example: Calculate Muhammad Using Abjad-e-Kabir

Let's calculate:

محمد — Muhammad

There are four written letters.

• م = 40
• ح = 8
• م = 40
• د = 4

Add the values:

40 + 8 + 40 + 4 = 92

Therefore:

Muhammad (محمد) = 92 in Eastern Abjad-e-Kabir.

The spelling is important.

We count م twice because it appears twice.

Any reader using the same spelling and table can check this result.

5. What Is Abjad-e-Saghir?

Saghir means small or minor.

The term Abjad-e-Saghir is used for smaller-value methods of letter calculation.

However, unlike the familiar full Kabir table, there is no single Saghir definition followed by every traditional source or modern calculator.

Some sources reduce larger Abjad values to a nine-number cycle.

Others use different tables, including systems based on letter positions or other reductions.

In this article, we will teach one clearly defined method:

The 1–9 reduced-value method.

It is also known mathematically as a digital-root reduction.

This method is easy to calculate and check.

It should not be confused with every other system that has been called Abjad-e-Saghir.

6. How Does the 1–9 Reduced-Value Method Work?

First, find a letter's Abjad-e-Kabir value.

Then add the digits of that number until a value from 1 to 9 remains.

Example: The letter Mim

The letter م has a Kabir value of 40.

Add its digits:

4 + 0 = 4

Its reduced value is 4.

Example: The letter Ra

The letter ر has a Kabir value of 200.

Add its digits:

2 + 0 + 0 = 2

Its reduced value is 2.

Example: The letter Ghayn

The letter غ has a Kabir value of 1000.

Add its digits:

1 + 0 + 0 + 0 = 1

Its reduced value is 1.

For values that are multiples of nine, this convention uses 9, rather than 0.

For example:

ص = 90 → 9 + 0 = 9

This is one possible small-number convention. Other Saghir methods can treat such values differently.

7. A Simple Reduced-Value Reference Table

Using the 1–9 reduction defined above, we get these values.

First group

• ا = 1
• ب = 2
• ج = 3
• د = 4
• ه = 5
• و = 6
• ز = 7
• ح = 8
• ط = 9

Second group

• ي = 1
• ك = 2
• ل = 3
• م = 4
• ن = 5
• س = 6
• ع = 7
• ف = 8
• ص = 9

Third group

• ق = 1
• ر = 2
• ش = 3
• ت = 4
• ث = 5
• خ = 6
• ذ = 7
• ض = 8
• ظ = 9
• غ = 1

This table is a 1–9 reduced-value table, not a universal chart of every Abjad-e-Saghir school.

In the next examples, we will use these exact values.

8. Example: Calculate Muhammad Using Reduced Values

Our word is again:

محمد

Now use the reduced values.

• م = 4
• ح = 8
• م = 4
• د = 4

Add them:

4 + 8 + 4 + 4 = 20

The sum of the reduced letter values is 20.

If the chosen method also reduces the final total, add its digits:

2 + 0 = 2

We now have three related results:

All three results can be mathematically correct because they answer different questions.

A website showing 20 may be reporting the sum of reduced letter values.

A website showing 2 may be reporting the final single-digit result.

That is why the calculation label matters.

9. Example: Calculate Noor in Both Methods

Let's use a short and familiar word:

نور — Noor — Light

Abjad-e-Kabir

• ن = 50
• و = 6
• ر = 200

Total:

50 + 6 + 200 = 256

Reduced 1–9 values

• ن = 5
• و = 6
• ر = 2

Total:

5 + 6 + 2 = 13

If we also reduce the final total:

1 + 3 = 4

Therefore:

The original word did not change.

Only the numerical convention changed.

10. Can You Reduce the Kabir Total Directly?

Yes, in the 1–9 digital-root method.

Take the Kabir total of نور:

256

Add its digits:

2 + 5 + 6 = 13

Now reduce again:

1 + 3 = 4

You get the same final number as when you reduced the individual letters first.

This works because adding numbers and then taking their digital root produces the same final 1–9 result as taking the digital roots of the parts, adding them, and reducing again.

However, there is an important detail:

The intermediate totals do not have to match.

For نور, the original Kabir sum is 256 and the sum of reduced letter values is 13.

Only their final single-digit reductions match.

This mathematical relationship applies to the method we have defined, not automatically to every traditional Saghir table.

11. Why Do Some Abjad-e-Saghir Books Give Different Answers?

This is a common source of confusion.

The term Abjad-e-Saghir has been used for different reduced numerical conventions.

Some writings use a nine-number reduction.

Others use letter positions from 1 to 28 or special tables with different values and omitted letters.

For example, a system based on the traditional positions of 28 Abjad letters assigns each letter its position in that sequence.

That is different from reducing its Kabir value to a single digit.

A further difference can appear when one book keeps a final total while another reduces it again.

Therefore, do not combine tables from different methods in a single calculation.

If a source calls its method Saghir, first ask:

• What values are assigned to the 28 letters?
• Are the values obtained from Kabir or from letter positions?
• Are multiples of nine represented as 9 or treated differently?
• Are any letters omitted?
• Is the final total reduced again?
• How are Urdu and Persian letters handled?

Without these answers, two Saghir results may not be directly comparable.

12. Where Is Abjad-e-Saghir Traditionally Applied?

Reduced-value tables appear in some later letter-number and numerological practices.

Their uses vary by school.

Simplifying large numbers

A large Kabir value can be reduced to a smaller range.

For example:

256 → 4

This makes it easier to compare numerical patterns.

Traditional letter classifications

Some practitioners group letters by reduced values.

For example, under our selected method:

• ا, ي, ق and غ have the reduced value 1.
• ب, ك and ر have the reduced value 2.

These groupings follow the stated arithmetic rule.

Additional calculations in certain letter traditions

Some Jafr-related or other traditional letter practices use smaller numerical tables alongside Kabir values.

The exact purpose depends on the source.

Educational comparison

A student can use reduced values to understand how different numerical systems produce different results for the same text.

These are descriptions of traditional and educational uses, not evidence that a reduced number can predict personal outcomes.

13. What Are the Benefits of Learning Both Methods?

There are several clear benefits.

You can check calculations. Instead of trusting a mysterious number, you can work through the arithmetic yourself.

You can understand different books. A source using Kabir will not be confused with one using a reduced-value convention.

You can compare calculators. Different results become easier to explain when their settings are known.

You can study historical techniques. Kabir values are important for understanding older numerical notation and chronograms.

You can avoid unsupported conclusions. Learning how a result was produced helps separate calculation from interpretation.

The strongest demonstrated benefit is therefore educational and mathematical understanding.

Traditional claims about the effects of particular numbers are separate from these verifiable benefits.

14. Which Method Should You Use?

The answer depends on your task.

You want the traditional full value of a name

Use the Abjad-e-Kabir table and the exact written spelling.

For example:

محمد = 92

You want to study a historical chronogram

Use the numerical system specified by the source.

Many traditional chronograms use full Abjad values.

You want to reproduce a reduced-number exercise

Use the exact Saghir or reduced-value rules stated in the book.

Do not assume every Saghir system uses digital roots.

You want to compare two calculators

Check the letter table, spelling and final reduction settings before comparing numbers.

You want to use the number to make a major life decision

Neither Kabir nor Saghir is a scientifically validated tool for predicting marriage, illness, financial success or future events.

15. Common Mistakes to Avoid

Confusing the Kabir total with the reduced total

The numbers 92 and 2 can come from the same spelling, but they are not interchangeable.

Assuming every Saghir chart is identical

Different traditions can assign different smaller values.

Forgetting repeated letters

In محمد, the letter م occurs twice and must be counted twice.

Mixing Arabic and Urdu spelling conventions

Some Urdu and Persian letters are not part of the classical 28-letter Arabic Abjad table. Their treatment depends on the chosen convention.

Treating calculations as predictions

Knowing a name's numerical value does not establish the person's character, compatibility or future.

16. Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main difference between Abjad-e-Kabir and Abjad-e-Saghir?

Kabir uses full traditional letter values. Saghir is a name used for smaller-value conventions, whose exact rules may vary.

Is Abjad-e-Kabir always from 1 to 1000?

The common Eastern table assigns values ranging from 1 to 1000 across the 28 classical Arabic letters.

Does every Abjad-e-Saghir system use numbers from 1 to 9?

No. Some traditions use different numerical tables or letter positions.

Why does Muhammad sometimes equal 92, 20 or 2?

With the conventions demonstrated here, 92 is the Kabir total, 20 is the sum of reduced letter values, and 2 is the final single-digit reduction.

What is the Abjad-e-Kabir value of Noor?

The written word نور has a Kabir value of 256 under the common Eastern system.

What is Noor's final 1–9 reduced value?

Its reduced-letter sum is 13, and its final reduced value is 4.

Can the spelling of a name change its value?

Yes. A different written letter can change the result.

Can these values tell me whether a marriage will succeed?

No. There is no established scientific evidence that Abjad totals reliably predict marriage outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Abjad-e-Kabir and Abjad-e-Saghir are related approaches to traditional letter-number calculation.

Kabir provides the familiar full numerical values used in historical Abjad notation.

The name Saghir is applied to smaller-number methods, but those methods are not always defined identically.

The most important lesson is not to memorize one number without knowing how it was calculated.

Always identify the exact table, calculate every letter, and distinguish the numerical result from any symbolic interpretation.

At RohaniGuide, our goal is to explain traditional knowledge using clear methods, easy examples and accurate historical context.

For readers new to this subject, our introductory article is a useful starting point:

What Is Ilm-e-Abjad? A Simple Guide to Arabic Letter Numbers

References and Further Reading

• Encyclopaedia Iranica — Abjad and Its Historical Uses
• Nisāb — Arabic Letter Values and a 1–9 Reduced-Number Reference
• Zamam — Abjad-e-Kabir and Abjad-e-Saghir Conventions
• Setare — Another Traditional Abjad-e-Saghir Table
• RohaniGuide — Abjad, Jafr and Takseer Compared

Method note: This guide demonstrates the 1–9 digital-root method as one clearly stated reduced-value convention. It does not claim that this is the only historically used definition of Abjad-e-Saghir.