A star (or stars) and crescent featuring in some combination form the basis of symbols widely found across the ancient world, with examples attested from the Eastern Mediterranean and Central Asia. The early Muslim community did not have a symbol. During the time of Prophet Muhammad, Islamic armies and caravans flew simple solid-coloured flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. In later generations, the Muslim leaders continued to use a simple black, white, or green flag with no markings, writing, or symbolism on it. During the 19th century, it represented th...