Green in Islam
Encyclopedia
Green
(Arabic: ) is considered the traditional color of Islam
.
Al-Khidr
(“The Green One”) is a Qur’anic figure who met and traveled with Moses
.
The Green Dome
, traditional site of the tomb of Muhammad
, was painted green on the order of sultan Abdul Hamid II
(r. 1876–1909).
Green was used as the color of the banners of the historical Fatimid Caliphate.
The Fatimid banner was in use until 1171, and thus during the first century of the crusades
, and by this way has taken influence on Christian heraldry
, where the tincture
vert
was very rarely if ever used for the field
(background) until the end of the Middle Ages (indeed the term sinople
used to signify a reddish colour until the 14th century, and only after ca. 1400 did it change its meaning to refer to green as a heraldic tincture).
Today, the color green is used in a number of flags as a symbol of Islam, so in the flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
and that of Hamas
,
National flags including green as a symbol of Islam include those of Mauritania
, Pakistan
, Afghanistan
, Iran
.
In radical Islamism
, a Black Flag has tended to be preferred since ca. the late 1990s, derived from a supposedly black banner carried by Muhammad
.
are worn by Muslims in order to identify themselves as Muslim. The green wrist bands and bracelets contain Islamic calligraphy or some are worn as plain green threads.
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
(Arabic: ) is considered the traditional color of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Significance and symbolism
The Arabic word for "greenness" is mentioned several times in the Quran, describing the state of the inhabitants of paradise. Examples include:- "Reclining on green Cushions and rich Carpets of beauty" (sura 55Ar-RahmanSurat ar-Rahman is the 55th sura of the Qur'an with 78 ayats.It has the refrain: "Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny?"- Verse :Ar-Rahman is often regarded as the 'beauty of the Quran', in accordance with a hadith:...
, verse 76)
- "Upon them will be green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade, and they will be adorned with bracelets of silver; and their Lord will give to them to drink of a Water Pure and Holy." (sura 76Al-InsanSūrat al-Insān or Sūrat al-Dahr is the 76th sura of the Qur'an with 31 ayat . The name means soul or human.76:01 Has there not been a period in Time, when the Man was not even that thing worthy of remembering/mention? [76:01]...
, verse 21)
Al-Khidr
Al-Khidr
Khidr or Al-Khidr is a revered figure in Islam, whom the Qur'an describes as a righteous servant of God, who possessed great wisdom or mystic knowledge, represented iconically by a fish...
(“The Green One”) is a Qur’anic figure who met and traveled with Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
.
The Green Dome
Green Dome
The Green Dome refers to the green coloured dome built above the tomb of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, Caliph Abu Bakr and Umar in the Al-Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina, Saudi Arabia...
, traditional site of the tomb of Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, was painted green on the order of sultan Abdul Hamid II
Abdul Hamid II
His Imperial Majesty, The Sultan Abdülhamid II, Emperor of the Ottomans, Caliph of the Faithful was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire...
(r. 1876–1909).
Muslim flags
The Fatimid banner was in use until 1171, and thus during the first century of the crusades
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, and by this way has taken influence on Christian heraldry
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
, where the tincture
Tincture (heraldry)
In heraldry, tinctures are the colours used to emblazon a coat of arms. These can be divided into several categories including light tinctures called metals, dark tinctures called colours, nonstandard colours called stains, furs, and "proper". A charge tinctured proper is coloured as it would be...
vert
Vert
The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
was very rarely if ever used for the field
Field (heraldry)
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
(background) until the end of the Middle Ages (indeed the term sinople
Sinople
Sinople was a term for a kind of red earth used as a pigment in antiquity.It can refer to:*sinople, also sinoper, a term for "red", and later "green" in heraldry, see Sinople...
used to signify a reddish colour until the 14th century, and only after ca. 1400 did it change its meaning to refer to green as a heraldic tincture).
Today, the color green is used in a number of flags as a symbol of Islam, so in the flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
Flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference
The flag of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has a green background. In the center, there is an upward-facing red crescent enveloped in a white disc.On the disc the words "Allahu Akbar" are written in Arabic calligraphy.-See also:*Islam...
and that of Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
,
National flags including green as a symbol of Islam include those of Mauritania
Flag of Mauritania
The flag of Mauritania is the common name for the national flag of Mauritania in north-west Africa. The flag was adopted on April 1, 1959. It was introduced under the instructions of Moktar Ould Daddah, and the subsequent constitution of 22 March 1959....
, Pakistan
Flag of Pakistan
The national flag of Pakistan was adopted in its present form during a meeting of the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, just three days before the country's independence, when it became the official flag of the Dominion of Pakistan. It was afterwards retained by the current-day Islamic...
, Afghanistan
Flag of Afghanistan
The flag of Afghanistan was adopted by the transitional government of the Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan in 2002–2004. This flag is similar to the one flown in Afghanistan during the monarchy between 1930 and 1973...
, Iran
Flag of Iran
The current flag of Iran was adopted on 29 July 1980, and is a reflection of the changes brought about by the Iranian Revolution. Its field is a tricolour comprising equal horizontal bands of green, white, and red...
.
In radical Islamism
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...
, a Black Flag has tended to be preferred since ca. the late 1990s, derived from a supposedly black banner carried by Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
.
Green wrist
Green wrist bands, threads and bracelets containing Islamic calligraphyIslamic calligraphy
Islamic calligraphy, colloquially known as Perso-Arabic calligraphy, is the artistic practice of handwriting, or calligraphy, and by extension, of bookmaking, in the lands sharing a common Islamic cultural heritage. This art form is based on the Arabic script, which for a long time was used by all...
are worn by Muslims in order to identify themselves as Muslim. The green wrist bands and bracelets contain Islamic calligraphy or some are worn as plain green threads.
See also
- Blue in JudaismBlue in JudaismBlue in Judaism is used to symbolise divinity, because blue is the color of the sky and sea. It can also represent equilibrium, since its hue suggests a shade midway between white and black, day and night....
- GreenGreenGreen is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
- Islamic flagsIslamic FlagsAn Islamic flag is a flag that complies with Islamic rules. Traditionally Islamic flags were of solid colour. The most favoured colours were black, white, red and green. However, other plain colours can be adopted. A bi-colour or tricolour flag can also be adopted as an Islamic flag...
- Symbols of Islam
- Islamic green