Khawla bint al-Azwar ( ar, خولة بنت الازور; died 639), was an Arab Muslim warrior in the service of the

Rashidun Caliphate The Rashidun Caliphate ( ar, اَلْخِلَافَةُ ٱلرَّاشِدَةُ, al-Khilāfah ar-Rāšidah) was the first caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was ruled by the first four successive caliphs of Muhammad after his ...

. She played a major role in the

Muslim conquest of the Levant The Muslim conquest of the Levant ( ar, فَتْحُ الشَّام, translit=Feth eş-Şâm), also known as the Rashidun conquest of Syria, occurred in the first half of the 7th century, shortly after the rise of Islam."Syria." Encyclopædia Br ...

, 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 Malik or Tareq Bin Awse, one of the chiefs of the Banu Assad tribe, Khawlah was well known for her bravery in campaigns of the

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

conquests in parts of what are today

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

, and

Palestine __NOTOC__ Palestine may refer to: * State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia * Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia * Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...

. 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 Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate. The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, ...

in 636 against the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

. On the 4th day of the battle she led a group of women against the Byzantine army 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 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. 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 Banu Asad ibn Khuzaymah ( ar, ابن أسد بن خزيمة ) is an Arab tribe. They are Adnanite Arabs, powerful and one of the most famous tribes. They are widely respected by many Arab tribes, respected by Shia Muslims because they have burie ...

tribe. Khawla's brother Dhiraar became a Muslim after the

Battle of the Trench The Battle of the Trench ( ar, غزوة الخندق, Ghazwat al-Khandaq), also known as the Battle of Khandaq ( ar, معركة الخندق, Ma’rakah al-Khandaq) and the Battle of the Confederates ( ar, غزوة الاحزاب, Ghazwat al- ...

. 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 A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

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 headed campaigns against Muhammad on behalf of the Quraysh. He later became a Muslim and spent the remainder of his career i ...

took his

mobile guard The Fursan unit, or the early Muslim cavalry unit, was the cavalry forces of Rashidun army during the Muslim conquest of Syria. The division which formed the early cavalry corps of the caliphate were commonly nicknamed the Mobile Guard (Arabic: ط ...

to rescue him. Khawlah accompanied the army and rushed the Byzantine

rearguard A rearguard is a part of a military force that protects it from attack from the rear, either during an advance or withdrawal. The term can also be used to describe forces protecting lines, such as communication lines, behind an army. Even more ...

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 The Battle of Ajnadayn ( ar, معركة أجنادين) was fought in July or August 634 ( Jumada I or II, 13 AH), in a location close to Beit Guvrin in present-day Israel; it was the first major pitched battle between the Byzantine (Roman) ...

, 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 referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

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, granti ...

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 Shurah ...

, 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 AL, Al, Ål or al may stand for: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Al (''Aladdin'') or Aladdin, the main character in Disney's ''Aladdin'' media * Al (''EastEnders''), a minor character in the British soap opera * Al (''Fullmetal ...

, 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 ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb ( ar, عمر بن الخطاب, also spelled Omar, ) was the second Rashidun caliph, ruling from August 634 until his assassination in 644. He succeeded Abu Bakr () as the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate o ...

. Many streets and schools in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...

, are named after her.

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. Today, an Iraqi all-women military unit is named the Khawlah bint al-Azwar unit in Khawlah's honor. In the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

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

References

Bibliography

* *

Sources

Islamic Thinkers

{{DEFAULTSORT:al-Azwar, Khawlah bint 7th-century Arabs Women companions of the Prophet Women in medieval warfare 7th-century women Women in war in the Middle East Women soldiers History of Saudi Arabia Arab women in war 639 deaths