The Black Banner is considered as a symbol in Islamic eschatology; one that is used in Islamism and Jihadism, which explains the use of black flags by jihadist groups.

Al-Qaeda

The group was funded by Ayman al-Zawahiri in 1988 and it is represented by a black flag with white lettering which reads, in Arabic, "There is no God but the God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God."

Al Shabaab

The group's flag depicts a green circle with a yellow banner on top that reads, in Arabic, "the Movement of the Shabaab Mujahideen." The center image includes a map of the Horn of Africa, an open Qur'an and two crossed arms. Above the Qur'an is the Islamic declaration of faith, "There is no God but the God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." The bottom banner reads, "The Army of Hardship in Somalia."

Caucasus Emirate

The group was founded by the Chechen Islamist Dokka Umarov, in October 31, 2007. Its flag is black with white lettering which reads, in Arabic, "There is no God but the God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God," written under a sword.

Abu Sayyaf Group

Founded by Abou Bakr Hanjalani in 1991 in Phillipines, the group is active in Malaysia and its flag is similar to that used by al-Qaeda.

Taliban

Founded by Mullah Mohamad Omar in Afghanistan, the group is active in Pakistan and uses a flag that is similar to that adopted by al-Qaeda.

Boko Haram

The group was founded in Nigeria in 2008. Its name means "Western" or "non-Islamic" education is a sin. The group is active in the north of Nigeria, adopting a black flag with Qur'an and two rifles.

Nusra Front

The group was founded by Abou Mohamad al-Joulani in 2011 and it is affiliated to al-Qaeda group. Its flag is similar to al-Qaeda's, with the name of "Nusra Front" featured in Arabic.

ISIS

Islamic State of Iraq and Sham was established in April 2004 by long-time Sunni extremist Abu Mus‘ab al-Zarqawi. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi became the next leader, and the group has continued conducting high-profile attacks in Iraq and has made efforts to expand within the region. The group's flag is black with the sentence "There is no God but the God" written above, while "Muhammad is the messenger of God" is written backwards and placed in a circle.