STANDARDS

Arabic ʿalam ( علم‎ ), pl. aʿlām . Regarding the standards used by Muḥammad, there are the following traditions:— Jābir says: “The Prophet came into Makkah with a white standard.” Ibn ʿAbbās says: “The Prophet had two standards, a large black one and a small white one.” Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib says: “The standard, I remember, was a square one, and black spotted with divers colours.” In the struggle between the Shīʿahs and the Sunnīs, the Fat imides adopted green as the colour of their standard, whilst the Banī Umaiyah a umed white for theirs. IMG:3048615538088815629_p606.png:MUHAMMADAN STANDARDS. (A. F. Hole.) MUHAMMADAN STANDARDS . ( A. F. Hole .) | 1. | Muslim Standard of Central Asian Tribes. | 4. | Horse-tail Standard of Modern Turks. | | 2. | Standard of the Turkish Empire. | 5. | Standard of Egypt. | | 3. | Standard of the Empire of Morocco. | 6. | Standard of Persia. | In Central Asia, the ordinary Muslim standards are either black or green, and are triangular. The sign of the crescent, as it appears on Turkish standards, was adopted after the taking of Byzantium; for, long before the conquest of Constantinople, the crescent had been used in the city for an emblem of sovereignty, as may be seen from the medals struck in honour of August us and Trajan. [ CRESCENT .] There is a standard still preserved at Constantinople amongst the ancient relics, and called as-Sinjaqu ʾsh-sharīf , which is held to be a most sacred emblem, and is only produced on very special occasions. It is said to be the ancient standard of the Prophet. IMG:3048615538088815629_p607-1.png:MUHARRAM STANDARDS. MUHARRAM STANDARDS. A modern writer, describing this flag, says: “It is made of four layers of silk, the topmost of which is green, those below being composed of cloth, embroidered with gold. Its entire length is twelve feet, and from it is suspended the figure of a human hand, of peace, the banner of the Prophet is kept in a chamber appropriated to the purpose, along with the clothes, teeth, the venerable locks, the stirrups, and the bow of the Prophet.” In the Muḥarram, when the martyrdom of al-Ḥas an and al-Ḥusain is celebrated, numerous standards are carried about in the proce ion. The origin of the horse-tail standard borne by modern Turks, appears to have been from the people bearing the horse-tail as a distinction of rank, the two ranks of pashas being distinguished respectively by two and three tails, and a further distinction of rank being marked by the elevation of one of the tails above the others. IMG:3048615538088815629_p607-2.png:MUHARRAM STANDARD. MUHARRAM STANDARD. According to the Traditions, the Mahdī, in the Last Days, will appear from the direction of K͟horasān with black ensigns, and there seems to be every reason to regard the black standard as the primitive ensign of Islām, although the Wahhābīs have generally carried green standards.