Khawlah bint al-Azwar: Woman Warrior Across Cultures

Khawlah bint al-Azwar was a famous Muslim Arab warrior who was born sometime in the 7th century, according to Wikipedia. This was around the same time as the famous Islamic prophet, Muhammad, was alive. Although little is know about her early life, Fatimah Saleem writes that Khawlah started out her professional life as a nurse and soon used her courage and healing ability for battle. She was the sister of a soldier and commander of the Rashidun Army, Dhiraar ibn Azwar. According to Wikipedia, Dhiraar taught Khawlah swordsmanship and the art of poetry while he remained by her side through battles across what is known today as Syria, Jordan, and Palestine. Daughter to one of the chiefs of the Bani Assad Tribe, her family is also known as one of the first to convert to Islam.

A famed conquest that woman warrior Khawlah is most notable for is the Battle of Yarmouk. Ben Thompson describes a version of the legend on badassoftheweek.com. Standing on a ridge near the fighting ground, Khawlah sees her brother get thrown off his horse and captured by the Byzantine Empire to be tortured. Rather than stand by and accept her brother's defeat, legend holds that Khawlah adorned a black robe with a green sash, a suit of armor, and a concealing ninja mask to disguise herself as a man and followed Khalid ibn Walid's army to rescue the prisoners. Because of her great fury and fighting abilities, she was mistaken for Khalid and the army joined her in combat in order to force the Byzantine to flee. 

The most surprising part of this story is that after she reveals her true identity as a woman, Khalid honored Khawlah's bravery and asked her to lead their army to defeat the Byzantine and find her brother. Her fellow soldiers did not allow her femininity to limit her but rather respected her wit and power.

Khawlah is also well-known for her ability to influence others and stand up against the patriarchy. In the Battle of Ajnadin, Khawlah's horse was shot out from under her and she was captured by the Byzantines, then taken to a prisoner camp. The biggest advantage the Byzantine army gave her was placing her in a tent completely filled with other Arab women prisoners. Ben Thompson describes how when a general orders Khawlah to be taken to his bunk for him to essentially rape her, Khawlah stood up and rallied her fellow women prisoners to fight for their freedom and honor or die. The women joined together and with tent poles as spears, they fought and killed 30 enemy soldiers and were able to flee to allied lines. It is said that Khawlah is famous for liquifying the brains of five soldiers with just a chunk of wood. This story shows how Khawlah never accepted defeat and was able to influence other women to stand up for themselves through warrior tactics. 

A Jordan stamp created in honor
of Khawlah

Khawlah's story truly exemplifies bravery and empowerment to the Muslim women community. Fatimah Saleem perfectly captures the importance for the spread of Khawlah's tales by stating, "The stories that we are told growing up of Muslim women are those who were good wives and daughters and mothers. Khawla’s story is one that should be told with vigor and passion." Her stories of perseverance and equality can be relatable to Muslim women who are fighting both those who oppose the Muslim faith and those who support it. In addition to Khawlah being an uplifting, cultural figure to be passed down through oral traditions, Wikipedia provides how her legacy also lives on in other ways. In Saudi Arabia, many schools and buildings are named after Khawlah and even both an Iraqui all-women military unit and the first women's military college in the United Arab Emirates are named in Khawlah's honor.

Women from the Khalwah bit al-Azwar
military unit. 

Fatimah Saleem is so inspired by the noble acts of Khawlah and concludes her article about this famous woman warrior with the morals that these stories may teach. "[Women] are often the powerhouse of education which teaches loyalty, love, honesty, and kindness but let us also not forget that we also have a duty to develop strength, integrity and an unwavering commitment to justice." Khawlah represents how being a Muslim woman does not equate to being an oppressed, helpless person. She inspires Muslim women to stand up for their moral beliefs, principals, and protection and discourages the idea that feminity can limit your abilities. 

References:

"Khawlah bint al-Azwar." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 2, Sept. 2017. Web. 28, Oct. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khawlah_bint_al-Azwar

Saleem, Fatimah. You've Probably Never Heard of This Female Badass Warrior. Mvslim, 28, Dec. 2016, http://mvslim.com/youve-probably-never-heard-ofthis-female-badass-warriors/. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.

Thompson, Ben. Khawlah bint al-Azwar. Badass of the Week, n.d., http://www.badassoftheweek.com/khawla.html. Accessed 28 Oct. 2017.