For some reason when an article or an academic report is published about the positive and negative connotations related to the colours black and white, they always seem to heavily focus on the negative connotations of the word black and the positive connotations of the word white. Even when they do add positive connotations of the word black, it is usually in relation to something that is not human. What makes things even more bizarre is that all of the information regarding both positive and negative can be found in the same books, so why the bias?
The reality is that in Arabic there are both positive connotations related to the words black and white in humans in Arabic that come from the Arabs themselves.
Before we start, we must understand that in Arabic, there are various words to describe the same colours. We will focus on three main words:
Ahmar which has a literal translation of red = Very White
Abyadh which has a literal translation of white = a wheatish colour with visible blackness
In Seera A’laam Al Nubalaa, Chapter 2, page 168, Imaam Al Dhahabi , said,
”If the Arabs said someone is white, they mean that he is a wheatish colour with a blackness that can be seen”.
سير أعلام النبلاء ج ٢ ص ١٦٨
“إن العرب إذا قالت: فلان أبيض ، فإنهم يريدون الحنطي اللون بحلية سوداء”
Aswad = very black.
Let us start with the negative connotations related to (ahmar) white first because most are completely unaware of them.
Ibn Hajjar narrates in his book Fath Al Baari Saheeh Al Bukhaari, Chapter 7 page 171
”And the Arabs call white, red because they dislike the name white, for it resembles leprosy”
قال ابن حجر في كتابه فتح الباري بشرح صحيح البخاري – ج 7 ص ١٧١
، والعرب تطلق على الأبيض الأحمر كراهة اسم البياض لكونه يشبه البرص
Ibn Sekeet said , ”from the red men and it is an unattractive red which flakes from the intense redness , perhaps they nicknamed the white people, red people because their whiteness resembled leprosy…. and the Ashqar is that which peels off the skin and the nose because of heat”
لونه الحمرة، بان السكيت، من الرجال الأحمر وهو القبيح الحمرة الذي يتقشر من شدة الحمرة وربما كنى عن الأبيض بالأحمر لأن البياض يقع على البرص;…’والأقشر الذي يتقشر جلده وأنفه من الحر
Next we have examples of how being (ahmar) white was directly associated with being a slave.
In Seera A’laam Al Nubalaa, Chapter 2, page 168, Imaam Al Dhahabi , said
“Red, in the dialect of the Arabs of the Hijaaz region means a pale white complexion with a pure redness upon it and it was a colour that was rare amongst them.”
الحمراء ، في خطاب أهل الحجاز : هي البيضاء بشقرة ، وهذا نادر فيهم
(Note: Hijaaz is the western region of Saudi Arabia. It comprises of the cities Mecca, Medina, Jeddah, Tabuk, Yanbu and Taif)
He then went on to explaining why and gave an example quoting the part of a long hadith which can be found in Bukhari Book of Oaths –
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ الْعَتَكِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ زَيْدٍ – عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي، قِلاَبَةَ وَعَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زَهْدَمٍ الْجَرْمِيِّ، – قَالَ أَيُّوبُ وَأَنَا لِحَدِيثِ الْقَاسِمِ، أَحْفَظُ مِنِّي لِحَدِيثِ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ – قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ أَبِي مُوسَى فَدَعَا بِمَائِدَتِهِ وَعَلَيْهَا لَحْمُ دَجَاجٍ فَدَخَلَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَيْمِ اللَّهِ أَحْمَرُ شَبِيهٌ بِالْمَوَالِي فَقَالَ لَهُ هَلُمَّ . فَتَلَكَّأَ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ فَإِنِّي قَدْ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَأْكُلُ مِنْهُ . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُهُ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا فَقَذِرْتُهُ فَحَلَفْتُ أَنْ لاَ أَطْعَمَهُ فَقَالَ هَلُمَّ أُحَدِّثْكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنِّي أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي رَهْطٍ مِنَ الأَشْعَرِيِّينَ نَسْتَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ ” وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَحْمِلُكُمْ وَمَا عِنْدِي مَا أَحْمِلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ ” . فَلَبِثْنَا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِنَهْبِ إِبِلٍ فَدَعَا بِنَا فَأَمَرَ لَنَا بِخَمْسِ ذَوْدٍ غُرِّ الذُّرَى قَالَ فَلَمَّا انْطَلَقْنَا قَالَ بَعْضُنَا لِبَعْضٍ أَغْفَلْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَمِينَهُ لاَ يُبَارَكُ لَنَا . فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا أَتَيْنَاكَ نَسْتَحْمِلُكَ وَإِنَّكَ حَلَفْتَ أَنْ لاَ تَحْمِلَنَا ثُمَّ حَمَلْتَنَا أَفَنَسِيتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ” إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لاَ أَحْلِفُ عَلَى يَمِينٍ فَأَرَى غَيْرَهَا خَيْرًا مِنْهَا إِلاَّ أَتَيْتُ الَّذِي هُوَ خَيْرٌ وَتَحَلَّلْتُهَا فَانْطَلِقُوا فَإِنَّمَا حَمَلَكُمُ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ” .
” A man entered from Bani Tayim Allah, red in complexion as if he is one of the slaves’.’
Another type of white used for complexions in humans is a word called Ashqar. This is a typical complexion seen amongst most Europeans who are white with a rosey redness which appears very visibly when hot or embarrassed.
Lisan Alarab Chapter 2 Page 691
”And the Ashqar from the men is that which its whiteness has a pure redness upon it”
”والأشقر من الرجال : الذي يعلو بياضه حمرة صافية”
According to AlNemri and others, being (ashqar) white in complexion was something that the Arabs detested.
Al Nemeri said in his book, Kitaab Al Mulama’, Page 90
”And Al Shaqarah( a very white skinned complexion with a pure redness upon it) amongst the Arabs is embarrassing”
كتاب الملمع ص ٩٠
”والشقرة عند العرب عيب”
Here we see an example of (ahmar) white being used to mean slavery and also it being compared to the private parts of a woman.
Ibn Atheer narrates in his book Al Niyaahyah Fee Ghareeb Al Hadeeth Wal Athar Chapter 1 Page 440
”And in the hadeeth Ali .. A man from the mawaali(clients) opposed him so Ali said , ” Shut up you son of a red Ijaan ” ,meaning son of a slave woman. The Al Ijaan is the area between the anus and the scrotum or vulva” and this is the way the Arabs talk when being derogatory and insulting”
(In Ghareeb Al Hadeeth by Ibn al Jawzy Chapter 1 Page 241 Ibn Al jawzi repeats this.)
قال ابن اثير في كتابه النهاية في غريب الحديث ج ١ ص ٤٤٠
قال مجد الدين أبي السعادات المبارك بن محمد (ابن الأثير) في النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر – حرف الحاء – باب الحاء مع الميم
هـ ) وفي حديث علي ” عارضه رجل من الموالي فقال : اسكت يا ابن حمراء العجان ” أي يا ابن الأمة ، والعجان ما بين القبل والدبر ، وهي كلمة تقولها العرب في السب والذم .
Here we see an example of a ahmar ( white ) being used in a positive sense:
In Al Muntadim Chapter 6 page 191
.. that Yazeed Ibn Naeem the father of Shabeeb was with those that were in the army of Salmaan Ibn Rabea when it was sent with Al Waleed Ibn Uqbah on the authority of Uthmaan Ibn Affaan to expand the military expeditions of Al Shaam to the land of the Romans. And when the Muslims had locked up the captives and rounded them up for sale, Yazeed saw a red female slave who wasn’t black or blue eyed and was tall and beautiful
المنتظم – ج ٦ ص١٩١
وقد روى أبو مخنف، عن فروة بن لقيط: أن يزيد بن نعيم أبا شبيب كان ممن دخل في جيش سلمان بن ربيعة إذ بعث به الوليد بن عقبة على أمر عثمان بن عفان إياه بذلك مددا لأهل الشام إلى أرض الروم، فلما قفل المسلمون أقيم السبي للبيع، فرأى يزيد بن نعيم جارية حمراء، لا شهلاء، ولا زرقاء، طويلة جميلة، تأخذها العين، فابتاعها وذلك سنة خمس وعشرين أول السنة، فلم أدخلها الكوفة قال: أسلمي، فأبت فضربها فلم تزدد إلا عصيانا، فأمر بها فأصلحت له، ثم أدخلت عليه، فلما تغشاها حملت فولدت له شبيبا…” (المنتظم- ج2 ص
Let’s now look at some positive connotations related to (abyadh) white in the metaphorical sense.
Abu Tayyib Al Laghwi (350 AH) said in his book ,Book of opposites in the speech of the Arabs ( page 40)
”White is only used for people (to mean) being far from being impure and free from defects.”.
كتاب الأضداد في كلام العرب
” و انما الأبيض من الناس البعيد من الدنس، النقي من العيب“
Al Thaa’lab is quoted in Lisan Al Arab, he said,
” The Arabs do not say a man is white to mean that he is white in colour. It is only said to mean that the person is pure and free from any defects.”
”العرب لا تقول : رجل أبيض من بياض اللون إنما الأبيض عندهم الطاهر النقي من العيوب”
In Al Atheer said in Al Nihaayah Fee Ghareeb Al Hadeeth , Chapter 3 page 354
”Al Ghurra ; plural Al Agharr : whiteness of the face: he meant the whiteness of their bright faces with light on the day of judgement”
قال ابن اثير النهاية في غريب الحديث والأثر ج٣ ص ١٥٤
الغر : جمع الأغر ، من الغرة : بياض الوجه ، يريد بياض وجوههم بنور الوضوء يوم القيامة
Let’s look at some more negative connotations related to black when it is used in the metaphorical sense
In the Quran in which the word black is used in reference to the a type of blackness related to evil and or despair and not skin complexion
Tafsir Qurtobi
And Allah the most high’s words
“When news comes to one of them, of a female, his face darkens, and he is vexed.”
And Allah the most high’s words “And when news comes to one of them of a girl” this means the news comes to one of them about the birth of a girl.”
Blackening of the face means it changes and it is NOT meant Black that is the opposite of white. And it is a metaphor used for the despair of having a girl ” And the Arabs say for everything that is disliked , his face has blackened with despair and sadness these are the words of Zijaaj.”
تفسير القرطبي
محمد بن أحمد الأنصاري القرطبي
قوله تعالى : وإذا بشر أحدهم بالأنثى ظل وجهه مسودا وهو كظيم قوله تعالى : وإذا بشر أحدهم بالأنثى أي أخبر أحدهم بولادة بنت .
ظل وجهه مسودا أي متغيرا ، وليس يريد السواد الذي هو ضد البياض ، وإنما هو كناية عن غمه بالبنت . والعرب تقول لكل من لقي مكروها : قد اسود وجهه غما وحزنا ; قاله
Black on black crime
In this example, we see ARABS insulting each other in a very similar way to how black people do it today.
And from their men Banu Ziyaad : Rabea and Aamirah and Ana’s and Qays they were FROM THE ARAB MEN and their knights . Rabea Ibn Ziyaad said to Yazeed Ibn Saiqa,- Ziyaad and Zura’h and A’las were brothers FROM THE ARABS ALSO_ So Rabea said : ”Aamirah Al Wahaab is better than Alas and Zura’h Al Fasaa’a is not as good as Anas and I am better than you (Yazeed) Oh Qanab Al Fars !”
And Qanab Al Fars : Covering of the horse’s penis . And Yazeed was Adam Shadeed Al Udmah (Jet black) so he (Rabea) likened him( Yazeed ) to it .
ومن رجالهم: بنو زياد: ربيع، وعمارة وأنس وقيس كانوا من رجال العرب وفرسانها. قال الربيع بن زيادة ليزيد بن الصعق. – وكان يزيد وزرعة وعلس إخوة، من رجال العرب أيضا فقال الربيع:
عمارة الوهاب خير من علس وزرعة الفساء شر من أنس
وأنا خير منك يا قنب الفرس
وقنب الفرس: وعاء غرموله. وكان يزيد آدم شديد الأدمة، فشبهه به
وأنا خير منك يا قنب الفرس و قنب الفرس وعاء غرموله و كان يزيد ادم شديد الادمة فشبه به.
Now let us look at some positive examples of Aswad = very black in the metaphorical sense:
The word Aswad shares the same root word as sayyid meaning lordship/ master.
In the book Kitaab al Majam Diwaan al Adab, chapter 3 page 420, it is explained quite clearly
” and asaada or a master boy and asaada a black boy”
في كتاب معجم ديوان الادب ج٣ ص٤٢٠
” و أساد أى ولد سيدا و أساد أى ولد أسود اللون”
”and samadh and blackness of a man and aswad meaning either a master boy was born or a black boy was born.”
”وسمذ و أساد الرجل وأسود بمعنى أى ولد غلاما سيدا وكذلك اذا ولد غلام أسود اللون”
Another example of this is the language found in a narration regarding Muawiyya radi Allahu anhu where black means royal, generous and affluent.
Al Ahad Wal Mathaany Chapter 1 page 174
On the authority of Ibn Umar may Allah be pleased with him , He said , I have not seen anyone after the messenger of Allah more black than Muawiyah. It was said, And Is it not Abu Bakr? He said , and it is not Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr was better than him, and he was more black than him. It was said , and it was it not Umar. He said, by Allah , Umar was better than him but he was more black than him. It was said, And was it not Uthmaan? He said, By Allah Uthaman was noble but he was more black than him”
الآحاد والمثاني لابن أبي عاصم وَمِنْ ذِكْرِ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ ج ١ ص ٣٧٩
حَدَّثَنَا هَدِيَّةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَهَّابِ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، نا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَزِيدَ، نا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: «مَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أَسْوَدَ مِنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ» ، قِيلَ: وَلَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ؟ قَالَ: «وَلَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ، قَدْ كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ، وَكَانَ أَسْوَدَ مِنْهُ» قِيلَ: وَلَا عُمَرُ؟ قَالَ: «وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ عُمَرُ خَيْرًا مِنْهُ وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ أَسْوَدَ مِنْهُ» . قِيلَ: وَلَا عُثْمَانُ؟ قَالَ: «وَاللَّهِ إِنْ كَانَ عُثْمَانُ لَسَيِّدًا وَلَكِنَّهُ كَانَ أَسْوَدَ مِنْهُ»
Positive connotations of having a very black skin complexion in the eyes of the early Arabs
Sharh Nahj al-Balagha Chapter 5 page 56
”And AlMubarad said, The meaning of his his saying the green, meaning brown and very black. And the Arabs were proud of their brown and very black skin complexions and they hated Ahmar white and Shaqarah white complexions and they say verily those two are from the colours of the non Arab.”
وقال المبرد: المراد بقوله: (وأنا الأخضر)، أي الأسمر والأسود. والعرب كانت تفتخر بالسمرة والسواد، وكانت تكره الحمرة والشقرة، وتقول: إنهما من ألوان العجم
Who were (ahmar) white people?
Ibn Hajjar said in Fath AlBaari , chapter 14 , page 243.
و العرب تطلق الأخضر عَلى كل لون ليس بأبيض و لا احمر ،قال شاعر : و أنا الأخضر من يعرفني اخضر الجلدة من نسل العرب
يعني انه ليس باحمر كالعجم ،والأحمر يطلقونه على كل من ليس بعربي و منه “بعث الى الأسود و الأحمر
“And the Arabs use the word green اخضر to mean any colour that is NOT ابيض or احمر . The poet said , “I am the green one , who knows me, green is the colour of Arabs ”
Ibn Hajar then said, ” He means he is NOT red like the AJAM (non Arab), and the colour AHMAR is used for whoever is NOT an Arab and from it ” I was sent to the red and the black.” Read more here