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Why Was The Abbasid Caliphate’s Flag Solid Black?
An eerie standard to bear
The black flag is a symbol most commonly associated with pirates. However, there was a large and powerful Islamic Caliphate that used a solid black banner as its official standard. Today, it seems odd to have a flag without any adornments, of any color, but that is what was chosen by the Abbasid Caliphate as their official display. Banners of solid black were flown over Abbasid armies and from Abbasid cities. But why?
There is a long Islamic tradition of flying black flags. Many modern militant groups continue to use various black flags today, including the infamous group ISIS. ISIS displayed a black flag with white Arabic lettering on it. This is a tradition that goes all the way back to the Prophet Muhammad.
Islamic tradition says that “black banners from the east” rose up and were flown by the Prophet during his conquests in Arabia. The black flag will also be used to herald the appearance of the Mahdi, an end-of-times figure in Islam who will appear before the Second Coming of Christ. Black is a color with roots in Islam’s earliest days and in its eventual triumphant future.
