About: Black Standard

In Shi'a Islam, the Black Standard is a messianic symbol. The tradition reports Muhammad said that the advent of the Mahdi would be signaled by 'Black Standards' proceeding from the north-eastern Iranian province of Khorasan. This may be part of the reason why black was adopted as the color of the Abbasid dynasty, since the Abbasids sought to attract Shi`ite support in their efforts to overthrow the Umayyads.