Khawla bint al-Azwar (; died 639), was a Muslim warrior in the service of the

Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate () is a title given for the reigns of first caliphs (lit. "successors") — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali collectively — believed to Political aspects of Islam, represent the perfect Islam and governance who led the ...

. She played a major role in the

Muslim conquest of the Levant The Muslim conquest of the Levant (; ), or Arab conquest of Syria, was a 634–638 CE invasion of Byzantine Syria by the Rashidun Caliphate. A part of the wider Arab–Byzantine wars, the Levant was brought under Arab Muslim rule and develope ...

, and fought alongside her brother Dhiraar. She has been described as one of the greatest female soldiers in history. She was a companion of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Born sometime in the seventh century as the daughter of Azwar al Asadi, one of the chiefs of the Banu Assad tribe, Khawlah was well known for her bravery in campaigns of the

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

conquests in parts of the

Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...

. She fought side by side with her brother Dhiraar in many battles, including the decisive

Battle of Yarmouk The Battle of the Yarmuk (also spelled Yarmouk; ) was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in Aug ...

in 636 against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived History of the Roman Empire, the events that caused the ...

. On the 4th day of the battle she led a group of women against the

Byzantine army The Byzantine army was the primary military body of the Byzantine Empire, Byzantine armed forces, serving alongside the Byzantine navy. A direct continuation of the East Roman army, Eastern Roman army, shaping and developing itself on the legac ...

and defeated its chief commander, and later was wounded during her fight with a Greek soldier.

Existence

The existence of a woman named "Khawla bint al Azwar" has been contested by many due to the lack of evidence in reliable books of history and

biographies A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

within Islamic tradition. One of the main sources of her story comes from "Futooh Ash Shaam", which is a book whose attribution to its author is highly debated. The alleged author, Al Waaqidi, is himself an often criticized figure, having been censured by prominent traditionists such as

Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. T ...

, al-Shafi’i,

al-Bukhari Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm al-Juʿfī al-Bukhārī (; 21 July 810 – 1 September 870) was a 9th-century Persian Muslim ''muhaddith'' who is widely regarded as the most important ''hadith'' scholar in the history ...

and others as unreliable. Although her brother, Dhiraar, and his brothers have been mentioned within reliable historical sources, there is no mention of a sister. All these factors together engender doubts about her existence.

Military career

Origins and early life

Khawla was likely born in the 7th-century and her father al-Azwar was a major chief of the Banu Asad tribe. Khawla's brother Dhiraar became a Muslim after the Battle of the Trench. Her family were also one of the early converts to Islam. Dhiraar was a highly skilled warrior and had taught Khawla everything she knew about fighting, from learning the spear, sword fighting, and martial arts.

Conquest of Syria

Her talent first appeared during the Battle of Sanita-al-Uqab in 634, fought during the Siege of Damascus, in which her brother Dhirar was leading the Muslim forces and was wounded and taken prisoner by the Byzantine army.

Khalid ibn Walid Khalid ibn al-Walid ibn al-Mughira al-Makhzumi (; died 642) was a 7th-century Arab military commander. He initially led campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career servi ...

took his mobile guard to rescue him. Khawlah accompanied the army and rushed the Byzantine

rearguard A rearguard or rear security is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or Withdrawal (military), withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as Line of c ...

alone. In her armor and typical loose dress of Arabian warriors she was not recognized as a woman, until she was asked by Khalid about her identity. In the Battle of Ajnadin, Khawlah accompanied the Muslim forces to provide medical attention to wounded soldiers. After her brother Diraar was captured by the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

forces, Khawlah took a knight's armor, weapons, and mare, wrapping herself in a green shawl. She fought a

battalion, who were attacking Muslim soldiers. Khalid bin Walid, the leader of the Muslim forces, ordered his soldiers to charge the Byzantines. Many of the Muslim soldiers thought that Khawlah was Khalid until Khalid appeared. The Muslim army defeated the Byzantines, who fled the battlefield. Khalid ordered his army to chase the fleeing Byzantines. After a search, the Muslim prisoners were found and freed. One of the

Rashidun army The Rashidun army () was the core of the Rashidun Caliphate's armed forces during the early Muslim conquests in the 7th century. The army is reported to have maintained a high level of discipline, strategic prowess and organization, grantin ...

commanders,

Shurahbil ibn Hassana Abū ʿAbd Allāh Shuraḥbīl ibn Ḥasana () was one of the earliest Muslim converts, ''sahaba'' (companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad) and a key commander in the Rashidun army during the Muslim conquest of the Levant. Early life Shurahbil ...

, is reported to have said about her that: During the Siege of Damascus, Khawla was taken as a war prisoner by the Byzantine forces. However, she managed to escape the place, where she was detained.

Other campaigns

Some traditional sources claim that in another battle, Khawlah was captured after falling from her donkey. After being taken to a camp with other women prisoners, Khawlah was to be taken to the leader's tent as he intended to rape her. Instead, Khawlah roused the other prisoners, who used the tent poles as weapons and attacked the

guards. According to

Al-Waqidi Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Waqid al-Aslami () ( – 207 AH; commonly referred to as al-Waqidi (Arabic: ; c. 747 – 823 AD) was an early Arab Muslim historian and biographer of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, specializing in his military ...

, they managed to kill five Byzantine knights with Khawlah taking credit for one, including the Byzantine who insulted her.

Legacy

Khawla's fighting skills were praised by

Umar Umar ibn al-Khattab (; ), also spelled Omar, was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () and is regarded as a senior companion and father-in-law of the Islamic prophet Mu ...

. Many streets and schools in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

, are named after her.

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

issued a stamp in her honor as part of the "Arab Women in History". Many Arab cities have schools and institutions carrying the name of Khawla Bint al-Azwar. An Iraqi all-women military unit was named the Khawlah bint al-Azwar unit in Khawlah's honor. In the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

, the first military college for women, Khawlah bint Al Azwar Training College, is also named after her.

References

Bibliography

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Sources

Islamic Thinkers

{{DEFAULTSORT:al-Azwar, Khawlah bint 7th-century Arab people Women companions of the Prophet Women in medieval warfare 7th-century women Women in war in West Asia Women soldiers Arab women in war 639 deaths