The secret of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani’s use of the black flag is four things:

Firstly, it is Sunnah; because the flag of the Messenger of Allah was black; as ibn Abbas, Buraidah, Jabir, Aisha, and others have narrated it. It has been narrated from Yunus ibn Ubaid, the freed slave of Muhammad ibn Qasim, that he said: «بَعَثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ إِلَى الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ رَايَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: كَانَتْ سَوْدَاءَ مُرَبَّعَةً مِنْ نَمِرَةٍ»[1]; “Muhammad ibn Qasim sent me to Bara’ ibn Azib to ask him about the flag of the Messenger of Allah . He replied: ‘It was black and square, being made of a woolen rug.’” It has been narrated from Abu Hurairah that he said: «كَانَتْ رَايَةُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قِطْعَةٌ قَطِيفَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ كَانَتْ لِعَائِشَةَ»[2]; “The flag of the Messenger of Allah was a black velvet cloth belonging to Aisha.” Umrah, the daughter of Abd al-Rahman, has narrated and said: «كَانَتْ رَايَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَوْدَاءَ مِنْ مِرْطٍ لِعَائِشَةَ مُرَحَّلٍ»[3]; “The flag of the Messenger of Allah was an unsewn and painted black cloth belonging to Aisha.” Sa‘id ibn Musayyib has narrated a similar report[4]. Harith ibn Hassan has narrated and said: «قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَإِذَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ، وَبِلَالٌ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مُتَقَلِّدًا سَيْفًا، وَإِذَا رَايَاتٌ سُودٌ، فَقُلْتُ: مَا هَذِهِ الرَّايَاتُ؟ قَالُوا: هَذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَمْرَو بْنَ الْعَاصِ وَجْهًا»; “I came to Medina. Then I saw that the Prophet was on the pulpit while Bilal was holding a sword in front of him, and some black flags were raised high. Then I said: ‘What are these flags?’ They said: ‘The Messenger of Allah wants to send Amr ibn al-As to somewhere,’” and in another narration: «عَمْرُو بْنُ الْعَاصِ قَدِمَ مِنْ غَزَاةٍ»[5]; “Amr ibn al-As has returned from a war.” Ibn Sa‘d has narrated from his narrators that they said: «بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فِي خَمْسِينَ وَمِائَةِ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ عَلَى مِائَةِ بَعِيرٍ وَخَمْسِينَ فَرَسًا وَمَعَهُ رَايَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ»[6]; “The Messenger of Allah sent Ali ibn Abi Talib to war with one hundred and fifty men from the Ansar, riding a hundred camels and fifty horses, while he was carrying a black flag.” Qatadah has narrated from Anas that he said: «إِنَّ ابْنَ أُمِّ مَكْتُومٍ كَانَتْ مَعَهُ رَايَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَعْضِ مَشَاهِدِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ»[7]; “Ibn Umm Maktum had a black flag with himself in some of the wars of the Prophet which was for the Messenger of Allah .” It has been narrated that Zubair ibn al-Awwam entered Mecca on the day of the conquest with five hundred Arab emigrants and tribes, while he was carrying a black flag[8]. Yazid ibn Abi Habib has said: «كَانَتْ رَايَاتُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سُودًا»[9]; “The flags of the Messenger of Allah were black.” Hasan has said: «كَانَتْ رَايَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَوْدَاءَ تُسَمَّى الْعُقَابَ»[10]; “The flag of the Messenger of Allah was black and was called the Eagle.” This has been also narrated from Abu Hurairah[11]. It has been narrated from Urwah ibn Zubair that he said: «كَانَتْ رَايَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَوْدَاءَ مِنْ بُرْدٍ لِعَائِشَةَ تُدْعَى الْعُقَابَ»[12]; “The flag of the Messenger of Allah was black from a cloth belonging to Aisha. And it was called the Eagle.” It has been narrated from Umm Husain, the daughter of Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Husain, that she said in a hadith: «قَالَ لِي عَمِّي جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ: يَا بُنَيَّةُ! هَذِهِ رَايَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْعُقَابُ، ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَ خِرْقَةً سَوْدَاءَ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَهَا عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَعْطَانِيهَا فَوَضَعْتُهَا عَلَى عَيْنَيَّ وَوَجْهِي»[13]; “My uncle Ja’far ibn Muhammad said to me: ‘O my daughter! This is the Eagle, the flag of the Messenger of Allah .’ Then he took out a black cloth and put it on his eyes and then gave it to me. And I, too, put it on my eyes and on my face.” Moreover, the flag of Ali ibn Abi Talib in his wars was also black; as Huraith ibn Makhsh has narrated and said: «إِنَّ رَايَةَ عَلِيٍّ كَانَتْ يَوْمَ الْجَمَلِ سَوْدَاءَ»[14]; “Indeed, the flag of Ali on the day of Jamal was black.” It has been narrated form Ali that he said on the day of Siffin, pointing to the bearer of his flag, Abu Sasan al-Hudain ibn al-Mundhar al-Raqashi:

لِمَنْ رَايَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ يَخْفِقُ ظِلُّهَا ... إِذَا قِيلَ قَدِّمْهَا حُضَيْنُ تَقَدَّمَا

يُقَدِّمُهَا لِلْمَوْتِ حَتَّى يُزِيرَهَا ... حِيَاضَ الْمَنَايَا يَقْطُرُ الْمَوْتَ وَالدَّمَا

أَذَقْنَا ابْنَ حَرْبٍ طَعْنَنَا وَضَِرَابَنَا ... بِأَسْيَافِنَا حَتَّى تَوَلَّى وَأَحْجَمَا

جَزَى اللَّهُ قَوْمًا قَاتَلُوا عَنْ إِمَامِهِمْ ... لَدَى الْمَوْتِ قُدْمًا مَا أَعَفَّ وَأَكْرَمَا[15]

“For whom is the black flag whose shadow is cast? When it is said, ‘O Hudain! bring it forth,’ it is brought forth. So, he sends it toward death to bring it to the wells of death, from which destruction and blood drip. We had ibn Harb taste our spears and blows, with our swords, until he turned away and fled. May Allah reward the group who fought alongside their Imam to the death. How honorable and noble they were.”

Some scholars have considered it probable that the Messenger of Allah liked the black flag because he took it as a good omen; as they have said: «إِنَّ الْحِكْمَةَ فِي إِيثَارِ الْأَسْوَدَ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ الْإِشَارَةُ إِلَى مَا مَنَحَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مِنَ السُّؤْدُدِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّفِقْ لِأَحَدٍ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلَهُ، وَإِلَى سُؤْدُدِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَأَهْلِهِ»[16]; “The wise reason for preferring the color black (سود) on the day of the conquest of Mecca was to refer to «سؤود», meaning victory and dignity, which was not achieved for any of the previous Prophets, as well as the victory and dignity of Islam and its people.” It is not unlikely; because «السّؤدد» means greatness, glory, and honor, and «الْمُسَوَّدُ» means “Sayyid” in the sense of master and leader; as it has been said in the narration of Qays ibn Asim: «اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَسَوِّدُوا أَكْبَرَكُمْ»[17]; “Fear Allah and make the greater one among you the master,” and in the narration of ibn Umar: «مَا رَأَيْتُ بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَسْوَدَ مِنْ فُلَانٍ»[18]; “After the Messenger of Allah I did not see anyone to be more Sayyid than so and so.” It has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah liked to take things as good omens, and he took good names as good omens[19]. Therefore, Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani’s use of black flags is based on the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah and the way of his guided caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib . This is not strange; because he follows their way in everything and continues their blessed movement to establish the pure religion and fill the Earth with justice and equity. Undoubtedly, the most appropriate flag for one who does this, invites people to return to Islam, and prepares the ground for the Mahdi’s rule is the flag of the Messenger of Allah and the flag of Ali ibn Abi Talib .

Secondly, using black flags is more beneficial for believers on the day they gather and on the day they fight in the way of Allah; as al-Sarakhsi has said in Sharh al-Siyar al-Kabir: «إِنَّمَا اسْتُحِبَّ فِي الرَّايَاتِ السَّوَادُ لِأَنَّهُ عَلَمٌ لِأَصْحَابِ الْقِتَالِ، وَكُلُّ قَوْمٍ يُقَاتِلُونَ عِنْدَ رَايَتِهِمْ، وَإِذَا تَفَرَّقُوا فِي حَالِ الْقِتَالِ، يَتَمَكَّنُونَ مِنَ الرُّجُوعِ إِلَى رَايَتِهِمْ، وَالسَّوَادُ فِي ضَوْءِ النَّهَارِ أَبْيَنُ وَأَشْهَرُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ خُصُوصًا فِي الْغُبَارِ، فَلِهَذَا اسْتُحِبَّ ذَلِكَ»[20]; “The color black on flags is recommended because it is a symbol for warriors. And each group fights under their own flag and can return to it whenever they are scattered during the war. And black is brighter and more visible in daylight than other colors, especially in dust. Therefore, it is recommended.”

Thirdly, using black flags is a common and conventional practice among those afflicted with a great tragedy, to the extent that it conventionally indicates the occurrence of a grave unfortunate event and is considered a kind of declaration of tragedy. It is probably one of the reasons that have prompted Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani to use black flags; because he has been afflicted with a great tragedy, the like of which has never happened on Earth since Allah made the children of Adam dwell on it, and that is the absence of Allah’s caliph on Earth, which has led to the Earth being filled with ignorance, disbelief, oppression, and sin. This is a tragedy that people are unaware of despite its extensiveness and graveness. For this reason, Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani has used black flags to draw people’s attention to it, and therefore, he will not lower these flags until this tragedy ends, Insha’Allah.

Fourthly, using black flags is a clear opposition to an oppressive and corrupt group called “ISIS”; because they emerged in Syria and Iraq shortly before the emergence of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani in Khorasan, and they used black flags to invite people to the rule of a misguided and misleading man called Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Therefore, when Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani noticed it, he used black flags to invite people to the rule of the Mahdi to confront this great and dangerous deviation from the path of Islam; as he himself has stated in a part of his honorable book Return to Islam, referring to this ominous group:

I heard that a call to falsehood was raised in the West, so I wanted a call to the truth to be heard in the East so that it would not be just the call to falsehood heard in the world lest Muslims agree on falsehood and the punishment of Allah be sent on them; because the government belongs to Allah alone, and He gives it to whomever He wants from among His servants, and He has wanted none but Mahdi of Fatimah, who pleases the family of Muhammad and all Muslims.[21]

This is the secret of Mansoor Hashemi Khorasani’s use of black flags.