Black banners
In brief
Several reports speak of black banners coming from the east, from Khurasan, as an army that comes before the Mahdi or with him. Khurasan was a large region that covered parts of today's Iran, Afghanistan and Central Asia.
The best-known reports say that black banners will come from Khurasan and nothing will turn them back until they are planted in Jerusalem, and that if you see them you should go to them even if you have to crawl over snow. These sound powerful, but hadith scholars graded these reports weak, and no sahih narration fixes when they come.
History helps explain why these reports spread. The Abbasid revolution of 132 AH rose in Khurasan under black banners, and historians such as Ibn Kathir note that the Abbasids used these reports as propaganda. In modern times several armed groups have flown black flags to claim the same prophecy. Scholars warn that a weak report does not make anyone's flag a sign.
A flag's colour proves nothing. Judge any group by the Quran and Sunnah, not by its claims about prophecy.
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ حُبَابٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلاَّمُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ النَّحْوِيُّ أَبُو الْمُنْذِرِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ أَبِي النَّجُودِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْبَكْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا هُوَ غَاصٌّ بِالنَّاسِ وَإِذَا رَايَاتٌ سُودٌ تَخْفُقُ وَإِذَا بِلاَلٌ مُتَقَلِّدٌ السَّيْفَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قُلْتُ مَا شَأْنُ النَّاسِ قَالُوا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَجْهًا فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ بِطُولِهِ نَحْوًا مِنْ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ بِمَعْنَاهُ . قَالَ وَيُقَالُ لَهُ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ أَيْضًا .
Narrated Abu Wa'il:that Al-Harith bin Yazid Al-Bakri said: "I arrived in Al-Madinah and entered the Masjid and found it full with the people and I also noticed a black banner raised high, while Bilal was holding a sword before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I said: 'What is the matter with the people?' They said: 'He intends to send 'Amr bin Al-'As somewhere.'" So he mentioned the Hadith in its entirety, similar in meaning to the narration of Sufyan bin 'Uyainah (#3273). He said: He is also called Al-Harith bin Hassan
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
66
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا رِشْدِينُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ قَبِيصَةَ بْنِ ذُؤَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " تَخْرُجُ مِنْ خُرَاسَانَ رَايَاتٌ سُودٌ لاَ يَرُدُّهَا شَيْءٌ حَتَّى تُنْصَبَ بِإِيلِيَاءَ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ .
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah(s.a.w) said:"Black standards will come from Khurasan, nothing shall turn them back until they are planted in Jerusalem
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي زِيَادٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ فِتْيَةٌ مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ فَلَمَّا رَآهُمُ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ اغْرَوْرَقَتْ عَيْنَاهُ وَتَغَيَّرَ لَوْنُهُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ مَا نَزَالُ نَرَى فِي وَجْهِكَ شَيْئًا نَكْرَهُهُ . فَقَالَ " إِنَّا أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ اخْتَارَ اللَّهُ لَنَا الآخِرَةَ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا وَإِنَّ أَهْلَ بَيْتِي سَيَلْقَوْنَ بَعْدِي بَلاَءً وَتَشْرِيدًا وَتَطْرِيدًا حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ مَعَهُمْ رَايَاتٌ سُودٌ فَيَسْأَلُونَ الْخَيْرَ فَلاَ يُعْطَوْنَهُ فَيُقَاتِلُونَ فَيُنْصَرُونَ فَيُعْطَوْنَ مَا سَأَلُوا فَلاَ يَقْبَلُونَهُ حَتَّى يَدْفَعُوهَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِي فَيَمْلَؤُهَا قِسْطًا كَمَا مَلَؤُوهَا جَوْرًا فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَأْتِهِمْ وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الثَّلْجِ " .
It was narrated that 'Abdullah said:"While we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), some youngsters from Banu Hashim came along. When the Prophet (ﷺ) saw them, his eyes filled with tears and his color changed. I said: 'We still see something in your face that we do not like (to see).' He said: 'We are members of a Household for whom Allah has chosen the Hereafter over this world. The people of my Household will face calamity, expulsion and exile after I am gone, until some people will come from the east carrying black banners. They will ask for something good but will not be given it. Then they will fight and will be victorious, then they will be given what they wanted, but they will not accept it and will give leadership to a man from my family. Then they will fill it with justice just as it was filled with injustice. Whoever among you lives to see that, let him go to them even if he has to crawl over snow
Weak report. Shown for study, not as established.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْحَذَّاءِ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي أَسْمَاءَ الرَّحَبِيِّ، عَنْ ثَوْبَانَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " يَقْتَتِلُ عِنْدَ كَنْزِكُمْ ثَلاَثَةٌ كُلُّهُمُ ابْنُ خَلِيفَةٍ ثُمَّ لاَ يَصِيرُ إِلَى وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمْ ثُمَّ تَطْلُعُ الرَّايَاتُ السُّودُ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ فَيَقْتُلُونَكُمْ قَتْلاً لَمْ يُقْتَلْهُ قَوْمٌ " . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ شَيْئًا لاَ أَحْفَظُهُ فَقَالَ " فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُمُوهُ فَبَايِعُوهُ وَلَوْ حَبْوًا عَلَى الثَّلْجِ فَإِنَّهُ خَلِيفَةُ اللَّهِ الْمَهْدِيُّ " .
It was narrated from Thawban that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:"Three will fight one another for your treasure, each one of them the son of a caliph, but none of them will gain it. Then the black banners will come from the east, and they will kill you in an unprecedented manner." Then he mentioned something that I do not remember, then he said: "When you see them, then pledge your allegiance to them even if you have to crawl over the snow, for that is the caliph of Allah, Mahdi
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
أخبرنا أبو عبد الله الصفار، ثنا محمد بن إبراهيم بن أرومة، ثنا الحسين بن حفص، ثنا سفيان، عن خالد الحذاء، عن أبي قلابة، عن أبي أسماء، عن ثوبان رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: «يقتتل عند كنزكم ثلاثة كلهم ابن خليفة، ثم لا يصير إلى واحد منهم، ثم تطلع الرايات السود من قبل المشرق فيقاتلونكم قتالا لم يقاتله قوم - ثم ذكر شيئا فقال - إذا رأيتموه فبايعوه ولو حبوا على الثلج، فإنه خليفة الله المهدي» هذا حديث صحيح على شرط الشيخين "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Places named
What scholars have said
No scholar here cites it as having appeared
No attributed view has been entered yet. Each view will name its scholar and source.
Present-day data
These numbers show the world today beside the narration. They do not decide whether the sign has appeared; that is shown only through named scholars, in the Scholars' views tab.
Reports say black banners will come from Khurasan and nothing will turn them back until they are planted in Iliya (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2269; Sunan Ibn Majah 4082, 4084). The critics graded these weak. Black banners have been raised in history and in recent years; scholars rejected each claim to be the banners of the narrations.
Narrations behind this panel: Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2269 · Sunan Ibn Majah 4082 · Sunan Ibn Majah 4084
Background
747 CE: the Abbasid revolution
Abu Muslim al-Khurasani raised black banners in Merv and the Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads in 750. Ibn Kathir wrote that these were not the banners of the narration, which come with the Mahdi.
Wikipedia: Abbasid Revolution
as of 2026-10-28
Myth checks
2014: scholars answer ISIS
The group known as ISIS used a black flag and end-times language for its claim of a caliphate. In September 2014 more than 120 Muslim scholars signed an open letter to its leader rejecting the claim point by point, from the rules of fatwa to the killing of non-combatants.
Open Letter to al-Baghdadi (2014) · Wikipedia: Open Letter to al-Baghdadi
as of 2026-10-28 · reviewed monthly
Read with care
- A flag's colour proves nothing; the narrations are weak, and the site names no present group as their fulfilment (rules 2 and 4).
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.