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TheBlack Banner orBlack Standard (Arabic:الراية السوداء,romanized: ar-rāyat as-sawdāʾ), also known as theBanner of the eagle (Arabic:راية العقاب,romanized: rāyat al-ʿuqāb) or simply asThe Banner (Arabic:الراية,romanized: ar-rāyah) is one of theIslamic flags flown by theIslamic prophetMuhammad according to Muslim tradition. It was historically used byAbu Muslim in his uprising leading to theAbbasid Revolution in 747 and is therefore associated with theAbbasid Caliphate in particular. It is also a symbol inIslamic eschatology (heralding the advent of theMahdi), though this tradition is weak according tohadithic standards.[1]
Arab armies in the 7th century were using standards to identify themselves on the field of battle. Among these standards, therāya was a square banner; not to be confused with theliwāʾ orʿalam, an identifying mark like a red turban.[2][3]
Islamic tradition states that theQuraysh had a blackliwāʾ and a white-and-blackrāya.[4] It further states that Muhammad had anʿalam in white nicknamed "the Young Eagle" (العقاب,al-ʿuqāb); and arāya in black, said to be made from his wifeAisha's head-cloth.[5] This larger flag was known asthe Eagle.[6]
Thehadith reports Muhammad said that the advent of the Mahdi would be signalled by Black Standards proceeding fromKhorasan and that it will be the flag of the army that will fight theMasih ad-Dajjal.[7][8][9] At theBattle of Siffin, according to tradition,Ali used theliwāʾ of the Prophet, which was white[2][3] while those who fought against him instead used black banners.[10]
TheAbbasid Revolution against theUmayyad Caliphate adopted black for itsrāyaʾ for which their partisans were called themusawwids.[11] Their rivals chose other colours in reaction; among these, forces loyal toMarwan II adopted red.[12] The choice of black as the colour of the Abbasid Revolution was already motivated by the "black standards out of Khorasan" tradition associated with theMahdi. The contrast of white vs. black as the Fatimid vs. Abbasid dynastic colour over time developed in white as the colour of Shia Islam and black as the colour of Sunni Islam.[13] After the revolution, Islamic apocalyptic circles admitted that the Abbasid banners would be black but asserted that the Mahdi's standard would be black and larger.[7][8][9] Anti-Abbasid circles cursed "the black banners from the East", "first and last".[14]
The flag was also used by the SultanSelim I of theOttoman Empire during hisconquest of Egypt in 1517[15] and continued to be used by Ottoman rulers in battle.
A black flag was used by theHotak dynasty in the early 18th century, followingMirwais Hotak'sSunni rebellion against theTwelver Shi'iSafavid dynasty and later by theEmirate of Afghanistan underAbdur Rahman Khan (1880–1901).
On 21 July 1848, under orders from theBáb, theBábí leaderMullá Husayn raised the Black Standard inMashhad (in Iran'sKhorasan Province) and began a march westwards. The mission was most likely proclamatory but possibly also to rescue another Bábí leader,Quddús, who was under house arrest in Sárí. After being rebuffed at the town ofBarfurush, the group took up making defensive fortifications at the Shrine ofShaykh Tabarsi. It is reported the Black Standard flew above the Bábí fortress until the end of theBattle of Fort Tabarsi.[16][17] According toDenis MacEoin, the Bábís were on their mission of spreading Babism, "by preaching if possible, by force if necessary."[18]
AsArab nationalism developed in the early 20th century, the black within thePan-Arab colors was chosen to represent the Abbasid dynastic color.[19]
TheAhmadiyya movement also employs black and white colours in its flag (Liwaa-i Ahmadiyya), first hoisted in 1939.[20]Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the fourth caliph of theAhmadiyya Caliphate, explained the symbolism of the colours black and white in terms of the concept of revelation and prophethood.[21][22]
The Black Banner, which is distinct from theISIL flag, has been used by some militant groups since the 1990s, including someChechen groups. Scholars[who?] have interpreted IS's use of a similar black flag as representing their claim to re-establishing acaliphate. Similar black flags have been used throughout Islamic history, including inAfghanistan during the early 20th century.[23]
Black absorbs total light, [it] does not emit an iota of light, so from looking heavenly-wards black indicates that we absorb entire light from heaven, and white reflects total light without being dishonest about it, so a Messenger has two aspects. One of receiving things from Allah, in that respect he'snabi [prophet], whatever he receives he completely, totally absorbs, and when he speaks to the others he reflects the entire light without being dishonest or stingy about it, so that reflection makes it white. So reception that is a complete reception without leaving anything out and reflection that is a complete reflection without leaving anything out, they are witnessed only in two colours: black and white. So both have been employed in Islam as flags.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)the black banner which was used in the 1990s
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