🌿 The Lionesses of Yarmuk 🌿
At the Battle of Yarmuk, while 24,000 Muslim warriors fought fiercely against the Romans, it was the women, standing behind them, who not only fought with great intensity but rebuked those who tried to retreat.
📜 Hafiz ad-Dhahabi said:
، والمسلمون في أربعة وعشرين ألفا، فقاتلوا قتالا شديدا، حتى قاتلت النساء من ورائهم أشد القتال
The Muslims, numbering 24,000 fought fiercely, so much so that even the women behind them battled with extreme intensity.”
(Tareekh al-Islam, ad-Dhahabi)
Khalid ibn al-Walid himself armed the women.
وساق خالد إلى النساء من وراء الجيش ومعهن عدد من السيوف وغيرها. فقال لهن: من رأيتموه موليا فاقتلنه، ثم رجع إلى موقفه رضي الله عنه
“Khalid rode to the women behind the army, bringing them swords and other weapons. He instructed them: ‘Strike any man you see fleeing!’ Then he returned to his battlefield position.”
(Tareekh al Islam ad-Dhahabi)
And Abu Sufyan said the same:
وحرض أبو سفيان النساء وقال: من رأيتنه فارَّا فاضربنه بهذه الأحجار والعصي حتى يرجع
“Abu Sufyan urged the women and said: ‘Whoever sees a fleeing man, strike him with these stones and sticks until he returns.’”
(Tareekh al Islam ad-Dhahab)
When some did try to flee, the women stood in their path.
Dhahabi said:
واستقبل النساء من انهزم من سرعان الناس يضربنهم بالخشب والحجارة، وجعلت خولة بنت ثعلبة تقول:
يا هاربا عن نسوة تقّيات
فعن قليل ما ترى سبيات
ولا حصيات ولا رضيات
قال: فتراجع الناس إلى مواقفهم
The women confronted the fleeing men, beating them with sticks and stones. Khawlah bint Tha’labah said:
*O you who flee from pious women,*
*Soon you will see them taken captive,*
*Or struck with stones, or humiliated!*
*Then the men returned to their positions.”*
(Tareekh al Islam ad-Dhahabi)
The women didn’t just hold the line they charged into battle and killed vast number of Romans.
وقد قاتل نساء المسلمين في هذا اليوم وقتلوا خلقا كثيرا من الروم، وكن يضربن من انهزم من المسلمين، ويقلن: أين تذهبون وتدعوننا للعلوج؟ فإذا زجرنهم لا يملك أحد نفسه حتى يرجع إلى القتال
“The Muslim women fought that day and killed many Romans. They struck down the fleeing Muslims and said: ‘Where are you going, leaving us for the Romans?’ When they rebuked them, no one could resist, and they returned to the fight.”
(Tareekh al Islam ad-Dhahabi)
🌟 Among them was the fierce Asma bint Yazeed, who:
وقتلت بعمود خبائها يوم اليرموك تسعة من الروم
“…killed nine Romans with the pole of her tent.” (Siyar A‘lam an-Nubala, ad-Dhahabi)
🕊️ And Khawla al-Ansariyah, for whom the verses of Surah al-Mujādilah were revealed, also fought at Yarmuk.
📚 Ibn Kathir also said:
وقد قاتل نساء المسلمين في هذا اليوم وقتلوا خلقا كثيراً من الروم، منهن: خولة بنت الأزور, وخولة بنت ثعلبة الأنصارية وكعوب بنت مالك بن عاصم, وسلمى بنت هاشم, ونعم بنت فياض, وهند بنت عتبة بن ربيعة, ولبنى بنت جرير الحميرية, وعفيرة بنت غفار, وسعيدة بنت عاصم الخولاني
“The Muslim women fought and killed many Romans, among them were:
> Khawla bint al Azwar,
> Khawla bint Tha’laba al Ansariya,
> Ka’ub bint Malik bin Asim,
> Salma bint Hashim,
> Na’am bint Fayaz,
> Hind bint Utba,
> Lubna bint Jareer al-Humariya,
> Afira bint Ghaffar,
> Saeeda bint Asim al-Khawlani.”
(Al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, vol. 7)
And last but not the least, Khawla bint al-Azwar, the warrior, known to fight like Khalid ibn al-Walid himself
خولة بنت الأزور … تشبه بخالد بن الوليد في حملاتها
“She was like Khalid ibn al-Walid in her attacks.”
(Al-A’lam – al-Zarkali, vol. 2, p. 325)
These women were defenders of faith, shields of the Ummah, and warriors of truth.
Let us honor their memory, teach our children their names, and carry forward their legacy of strength, sacrifice, and steadfast faith.
May Allah be pleased with these lionesses of Islam.