# Saudi Arabia's flag **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 30, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746 "2007-07-30T23:55:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gatorman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@gatorman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorman)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/1 "2007-07-30T23:55:03Z")
Does anyone know what does the arabic script mean in the Saudi Arabian flag? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2007, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/2 "2007-07-30T23:57:05Z")
لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول ال la ilaha illa llahu muhammadun rasulu llah “There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God” From [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Saudi_Arabia). The script on the flag is written in the Thuluth script. It is the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith: ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/3 "2007-07-31T05:51:27Z")
Question on Arabic script. 2 minutes later, not just an answer, but also a repro of the script, a version in English script, and some background. I love this site! ---
**Author:** ![Indistinguishable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/90ced4/32.png) [@Indistinguishable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indistinguishable)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/4 "2007-07-31T06:05:41Z")
How much do you love Wikipedia? ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/5 "2007-07-31T15:30:34Z")
As stated, it is Declaration of Faith. As a result it is hardly Saudi Arabia’s flag at all. It is the flag of God, or at least of Islam. The flag never flies at half-mast BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/6 "2007-07-31T15:32:25Z")
Not to mention, that particular phrase is said all the time IRL. I am by no means muslim, but even I know it by heart - I was surprised to see that a flag I had never looked at before in my life had a _ver_ familiar phrase on it. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/7 "2007-07-31T16:27:23Z")
[QUOTE=Paul in Saudi] As stated, it is Declaration of Faith. As a result it is hardly Saudi Arabia’s flag at all. It is the flag of God, or at least of Islam. The flag never flies at half-mast BTW. [/QUOTE] As I understand it, the sword of Ibn Saud is what distinguishes the national flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from the more generally Islamic flag with just the declaration on a green background. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/8 "2007-07-31T16:58:23Z")
Don’t forget, if you’re trying to match up Arabic letters to the English transliteration, that Arabic reads right to left rather than left to right. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2007, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/saudi-arabias-flag/413746/9 "2007-07-31T22:34:03Z")
**Pleonast** , You might want to mention something about the vowels, too.