Topic
Reports of black banners coming from Khorasan, used by the Abbasids and by modern extremist groups, which many scholars class as weak.
What it means
Hadith collections have reports of black banners that come from the east before the appearance of the Mahdi, and the Abbasid revolt of 750 used black as its colour. Hadith scholars rate the reports that mention banners from Khorasan as weak, and some as fabricated.
What the sources say
Groups such as ISIS have used black flags, and Muslim scholars reject their claim. The flag of the Prophet’s own day is reported in different colours, and the shahada on a plain flag is a later practice.