Islamic Flags
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An Islamic flag is flag that complies with Islamic rules. Traditionally Islamic flags were made from solid colour. Most favoured colours were Black, White and Green. However, other plain colours can be adopted. A bicolour or tricolour flag can also be adopted as an Islamic Flag. A good example of Islamic flag would be the flag of Libya.
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[edit] The Pan-Arab Flag and colours
Traditionally, early Arab flags were of one colour only, usually black or white, and charged with a religious inscription. It is thought that Muhammad himself used such flags, and it is said that his followers fought under a white flag.
White was also traditionally the colour of the Umayyad Dynasty. The Abbasid Dynasty which succeeded them used a black flag. The Fatimid Dymasty of caliphs, meanwhile, had green as their traditional colour, while the Hashemites used red.
In 1911, at a meeting in Istanbul, it was decided that a modern flag to represent all Arabs should include all four of these colours. Three years later, the Young Arab Society decreed that a future independent Arab state should use a flag of these colours, and on May 30, 1917 Sharif Hussein, leader of the Hejaz revolt replaced his plain red flag with one horizontally striped in black, green, and white with a red triangular area at the hoist. This was seen as the birth of the pan-Arab flag.
Since that time, many Arab nations, upon achieving independence or upon change of political regime, have used a combination of these colours in a design reflecting the Hejaz Revolt flag. These flags include the current flags of Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Algeria, and Sudan, and former flags of Iraq, Libya, and Afghanistan.
Other Arab or predominantly Muslim nations have kept single colour flags, often with some symbol or script. These flags include those of Libya, Turkey, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan's flag can also be considered alongside this group.
Where a symbol is used, most frequently it is the star and crescent. Script takes one of two forms, either the Shahadah or Allah Hu Akbar ("God is great"). Iraq and Iran use both the pan-Arab colours (in the case of Iran slightly modified in shade and excluding black) with the addition of Allah Hu Akbar — in recognisable form on Iraq's flag, and stylised on Iran's. Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan use the Shahada, a declaration of faith: Laa ilaaha ill Allah hu Muhammadur Rasulullah in Arabic, translation "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet".
[edit] Limitation to the use of Flags
Flags containing Allah Hu Akbar or Shahaadah are highly respected to due to its association of core Islamic belief shared by all Muslims. Misuse of such flags can be perceived as an attack on Islam regardless of nationality. Where as a Muslim country flag containing none of these phrases will not be seen as an attack on Islam but an attack on the country. Hence, this distinguishes the perception of Muslims. Misuse is understood be stepping on, burning, hanging in pub or Clubs and association of flag with non-Islamic subjects. Where as hanging a non-Muslim country's flag in the pub or bar would be perfectly normal.
Flags are used as a badge on army, naval and government officials uniforms as well as in government or emergency vehicle. Such usage is not possible if Shahaadah or Allah Hu Akbar flag is adopted as country flag. In accordance to Islamic teaching, it is not recommended that one goes to toilet with such phrases because they are extraction from Quran. It is the holy book and Muslims believe Quran is the word of Allah (God) and there is no doubt.
In Islamic countries Muslims are required treat non-Muslim citizens with respect and dignity. A non-Muslim in an Islamic country can not be expected to fly the flag of Shahaadah or Allah Hu Akbar as he/she does not believe in these phrases. Hence, there is no infringement of human rights. Therefore, non-Shahaadah or non-Allah Hu Akbar flag would be more practical give the limitation above.
There are many schools of thought in Islam and Wahabi is one of them. The use of Shahaadah or Allah Hu Akbar flag started with the Wahabi approximately 300 years ago.
[edit] Representation of flags
Unlike in most Western nations, flags are usually depicted in Islamic countries with the staff to the right. This is analogous to the right-to-left form of Arabic script. This can make for confusion when flag images are shown without an accompanying flagstaff, as it may not be immediately obvious which way round the flag is being depicted.
In keeping with Islamic law, Muslim flags do not bear any representations of real creatures, some Arab flags however have eagles that are used as supporters on the Coats of Arms. These flags are not necessarily Islamic in their nature, rather they arew usually indicative of the Pan-Arabist movement. It is rare to find plants depicted on flags of Muslim nations, even though this is permissible under Islamic guidelines. Some state and royal flags of Saudi Arabia do however depict palm trees.
[edit] Glossary
Muslim flag: Flag that is adopted by Muslim Nations. It may comply with Islamic rules or it may not.
Islamic Flag: Flag that completely complies with Islamic teachings. Example, Flag of Libya
[edit] References
- Islamic flags at Flags of the World
- Crescent Moon: Symbol of Islam? (islam.about.com)
