Sancak-ı Şerif

The Sancak-ı Şerif (Ottoman Turkish: سنجاق شريف, lit.

'great flag') is the alleged original standard of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

The Ottomans carried the flag into battle, beginning with their Hungarian campaign circa 1521.

[2] According to Ottoman historian Silahdar Findiklili Mehmed Agha (d. 1727), the flag was made of black wool.

[3] It was believed that if the Ottoman state, or Islam generally, were threatened with extreme danger, the flag should be taken into the field by the Ottoman sultan personally, whereupon every Muslim capable of taking arms must rally under the flag.