Colour Theory in Sufism

The Kubrawiyya Sufi order, which originated in Khorasan and spread to nearby regions, developed a colour theory. It is primarily credited to Kubra himself and one of his disciples, Simnani. The theory suggests that seven colours were linked to seven spiritual centres within us.

Yellow stands for Iman (faith).

Dark blue represents Ihsan (beneficence).

Light blue is associated with Iqan (assurance).

Green signifies Itminan (inner peace).

Red speaks to Irfan (knowledge of the spiritual world and its mysteries).

Black is linked to Hayaman (ecstatic).

Kubra said that Black was also associated with the concept of Fana - the annihilation of the self, and Jalal - the idea of divine majesty. Beyond black lies green - eternal life, and union with God in the afterlife.

Simnani added that the subtle substance of matte black was mortal existence, whilst shiny black was associated with mystery. The essence of blue is the soul, for red, it is the heart, for white, it is our innermost self, for yellow, the spirit, and for green, our ultimate reality.

The ultimate reality here refers to eternal life in the Hereafter, when our souls are reunited with the Divine. The journey of the soul was described as a period of blackness, followed by splashes of red, and finally green, where we find our way back to the Lord.