Tumāḍir bint ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn al-Sharīd al-Sulamīyah (Arabic: تماضر بنت عمرو بن الحارث بن الشريد السُلمية), usually simply referred to as al-Khansāʾ (Arabic: الخنساء, meaning "snub-nosed", an Arabic epithet for a gazelle as a metaphor for beauty) was a 7th-century tribeswoman, living in the Arabian Peninsula. She was one of the most influential poets of the pre-Islamic and early Islamic periods.
Tumāḍir bint ʿAmr ibn al-Ḥārith ibn al-Sharīd رضي الله عنه of the tribe of Sulaym, a pastoral tribe in Najd in central Arabia, was a well-known pre-Islamic poet whose poetry continued to be celebrated in the Muslim era. Her nickname was al-Khansa’, possibly meaning “gazelle” or “pug-nosed,” the latter being the better-known explanation.
A strong-willed woman, she rejected the marriage proposal of a renowned tribal chief, Durayd ibn al-Simmah al-Jushami, because she considered him too old. Perhaps the most traumatic events in her life, perhaps, were the deaths of her brothers Mu’awiyah and Sakhr in tribal battles in 612 and 615. Much of her poetry consists of sorrowful eulogies for them, through which she encouraged her tribe to avenge itself on their killers. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه‘ is also said to have appeared at the festive market of ’Ukaz in Makkah for the poetry contests.
In about 630, late in Rasulullahﷺ’s Prophecy, Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه‘ is said to have gone to Madinah and embraced Islam, and Muslim tradition states that four of her six sons were slain in 637 while fighting for Islam against the Persians at al-Qadisiyyah, a battle at which she is also said to have been present. Afterward, she returned to her Arabian homeland, where she died.
In her time, the role of a female poet was to write elegies for
the dead and perform them for the tribe in public oral
competitions. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه‘ won respect and fame in these competitions with her
elegies and is widely considered the finest author of Arabic
elegies and one of the greatest and best-known female Arab poets
of all time. In
629, she went to Madinah with
a deputation from her clan and, after meeting Rasulullahﷺ,
embraced the new religion. Some say Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه‘ʾ was Rasulullahﷺ's favorite poet. Rasulullahﷺ wept when he heard her elegies for her two brothers, Ṣakhr and Muʿāwiyah. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه poetry was later recorded by Muslim scholars, who were studying the unaltered
Arabic of her time in order to explicate the language of early
Islamic texts.
Al-Khansā رضي الله عنهʾ was born and raised in Najd, Arabia, into a wealthy family of the tribe of Sulaym, and was the daughter of the head of the al-Sharid clan. According to both contemporary and later judgments, she was the most powerful poetess of her time. In pre-Islamic society, the role of a female poet, such as al-Khansā’, was to compose elegies for the tribesmen who fell on the battlefield. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه extraordinary fame rests mainly on her elegiac poetry composed for her two brothers, Sakhr and Mu‘āwiya, who were killed in tribal skirmishes of Banū Sulaym with Banū Murra and Banū Asad, predating Islam.
In 612, Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه brother Muʿawiyah was killed by members of another tribe. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنهʾ insisted that her brother, Ṣakhr, avenge Muʿawiyah's death, which he did. Ṣakhr was wounded in the process and died of his wounds a year later. Al-Khansā رضي الله عنهʾ mourned her two brothers' deaths in poetry, writing over a hundred elegies about the two of them alone, and began to gain fame for her elegiac compositions, especially due to her powerful recitals. The contemporary Arab poet al-Nābighah al-Dhubyānī said to her: "You are the finest poet of the jinn and the humans." (Arabic: إنك أشعر الجن والإنس). Similarly, another anecdote says that al-Nabigha told al-Khansāʾ, "If Abu Basir had not already recited to me, I would have said that you are the greatest poet of the Arabs. Go, for you are the greatest poet among those with breasts". She responded by saying, "I'm the greatest poet among those with testicles, too".
Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه was a contemporary of Rasulullahﷺ and eventually converted to Islam. It is said that Rasulullahﷺ would ask her to recite some of her poetry for him, and he would love to listen to her. Whenever she paused after a recital, he would gesture to her to keep going and say, "Go on, Khunās!"[ Rasulullahﷺ even rated Al-Khansā رضي الله عنهʾ over the great Imru' al-Qais, the most famous poet of the classical Arabic tradition, as the one with greater poetic abilities.
Al-Khansā رضي الله عنه was married at least twice and had six children, all of whom were also poets and eventually converted to Islam. Four of them, Yazīd, Muʿāwiyah, ʿAmr, and ʿAmrah, were killed in the Battle of Qadisiyah. When she received the news, she allegedly said, "Praise be to God who honored me with their martyrdom. And I have hope from my Lord that he will reunite me with them in the abode of his mercy." (Arabic: الحمد لله الذي شرفني بقتلهم، وأرجو من ربي أن يجمعني بهم في مستقر رحمته)
‘‘Hey! Khanas!’’ -That was how Rasulullahﷺ hailed Khansa and encouraged her to recite more
poems! It is normal for Arabs to shorten names in this manner, just as Rasulullahﷺ used to address ‘Saidatuna Aisyah
Although Rasulullahﷺ was not a poet, and never composed poetry like poets, as an Arab Rasulullahﷺ was
able to appreciate good and well-composed poetry. Indeed, Rasulullahﷺ had Companions who
were distinguished poets and Rasulullahﷺ wouldn’t discourage them from reciting their
poetry, especially since they had now adopted a new method in which there was
no foolishness or straying which used to be characterized in the poetry of the
time of ignorance.
One such distinguished poet among the Companions was Hassan ibn Thaabit رضي الله عنه who devoted his poetry to the defense of Islam, Rasulullahﷺ and in support of the truth. He was so popular in this regard that he was conferred with the highest and noblest title of being, ‘The Messenger’s Poet’.
It was reported that he once wanted to refute the Quraysh’s poets’ and their false accusations against the Muslims after the Battle of Badr. Rasulullahﷺ asked him: “How can you ridicule them while I am one of them?”
Hassan ibn Thaabit رضي الله عنه said, “I will thread my way through them (with my satire) as a hair is carefully removed from the dough!!!”
Rasulullahﷺ then
said, “Say (what you have to say of poetry), may the Holy Spirit (i.e. Gabriel)
support you!”
In this way, we can see how Rasulullahﷺ knew and appreciated the positive impacts of poetry and its impressive nature upon the minds of men. Therefore, he allowed Hassan ibn Thaabit رضي الله عنه, Ka’b ibn Maalik رضي الله عنه, and Abdullah ibn Rawaahahرضي الله عنه to make excellent use of their accurate and unfailing weapons of poetry in the battle between truth and falsehood.
It was also reported that ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahahرضي الله عنه recited a poem in the presence of Rasulullahﷺ during ‘Umrah al-Qada’ when he was about to enter Makkah. ‘Abdullah ibn Rawahahرضي الله عنه was reported to have recited among other things, the following:
“O children of disbelievers! Keep off his (meaning the Prophet) way; Today we are going to strike so hard that a head will be removed from its base and a man will be frightened away from his friend!
We are the ones who fought you over the
interpretation of its meaning (i.e. the Qur’an), as we have fought you over its
revelation!
Allahﷻ has revealed in His Book that the best way to
die is to be killed in His cause!
O, Allahﷻ! I Believe in the Prince (with whom You
sent the Book), and I believe that the only true way is to accept him!”
When Saiyidina Umar Al Khattabرضي الله عنه heard this, he flew into a rage and wanted to stop 'Abdullah from reciting more poems. He rebuked him saying,
“O son of Rawahah, are you reciting poems in the
presence of Rasulullahﷺ and in the sanctuary of Allah?!”
Saiyidina Umar Ibn Al Khattabرضي الله عنه was worried that this may be disliked by Allahﷻ and his Messenger (peace be upon
him).
But Rasulullahﷺ replied to him and took away his worry with his fine words: “Leave him alone
‘Umar. For, his poems hurt the disbelievers more than the throwing of arrows.”
Now that we have come to see how Islamic poetry was liked by Rasulullahﷺ, let’s now explore the life of the poetess: al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه. Who was al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه. and what was her stance around Rasulullahﷺ?
Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه belonged to the tribe of
Banu Sulaym. She was extremely beautiful, well-mannered, and very eloquent. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه started reciting poems at a young age. Initially, Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه wouldn’t say more than
two or three lines of poetry but it was her sorrow over the death of her
brother Sakhr that refined and brought out her innate talent to recite long
verses of poetry. After his death, Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه began reciting long, emotional, and
extremely stylish poems to eulogize Sakhr, as well as her brother Mu‘aawiyah.
The scholars of poetry and language
unanimously agree that no other woman other than Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه ever attained the
level of poetry Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ recited, neither before nor after her.
In her eulogy for her brother, she
said (what means):
“O’ my eyes shed tears generously! Will you not
weep for Sakhr, the generous?!
Will you not shed tears for the audacious, tall, and handsome young man who possessed leadership qualities and led his people?!
Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه came to Madinah along with
a delegation from Banu Sulaym. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه then embraced Islam and became a good
Muslimah. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه pledged her allegiance to Rasulullahﷺ and
remained truthful to it. Rasulullahﷺ heard her
recite poetry and asked her to recite more, as has been mentioned earlier. Rasulullahﷺ liked her poems and addressed her warmly. This was the first manifestation of
her being around Rasulullahﷺ).
Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه was of the noblest plants
in terms of origin, growth, and fruits. But her nobility in these aspects
reached its peak in the Battle of Qaadisiyah. For, it was on the day of this
great Islamic conquest that al-Khansa attained prominence for being one of the
leading Muslim women of all time.
This prominence revolved around two
things:
1) Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه admonition to her four
Mujaahid sons and
2) The statement Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه made after their
martyrdom.
O mothers of today! O Muslim women!
In Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ there is an exemplary role model for all of you. Perhaps, after
reading her biography you will realize the reality of your role in this
transient life and your weighty responsibility of building the true Muslim
family, which in turn will bring about a strong Ummah.
Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr reported in his book
al-Istee‘ab:
“Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه bint ‘Amr witnessed the battle of Qaadisiyah with her four sons. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه addressed them right on the eve of the battle saying,
‘My sons! You embraced Islam and migrated
willingly. By Allahﷻ, besides whom there is no other deity worthy of being
worshiped, you are all sons of one man as you are sons of one woman. I have
never cheated on your father. Never have I brought disgrace upon your uncle,
disparaged your esteem, or altered your lineage. You know the great and abundant
reward that Allahﷻ has set aside for the Muslims who fight against the
disbelievers. Know that the everlasting abode is better than this transient
one. Allahﷻ, says: {O you have believed! Endure and be more patient
[than your enemy], and guard your territory by stationing army units
permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allahﷻ,,
so that you may be successful.}
When you wake up tomorrow morning, Allahﷻ is willing sound, and healthy, go and fight against your enemy with conviction and seek Allahﷻ,’s help over His enemies. When you see that the war has become tense, engage yourselves in the fight gallantly and resiliently that you may attain treasures and honor in the Abode of Eternity.’”
After this statement made by Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’, I have nothing better to say nor can I add anything. This is
because her statement is beyond comment as it is comprehensive in the whole
sense of the word.
The narrator proceeds:
“Her sons then left having accepted her admonition
and were determined to implement her words. When the morning came, they set out
early towards the battlefield and they all fought both gallantly and
courageously until they were martyred, one after another."
The news of their martyrdom was swiftly approaching Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’! What was her reaction? What was she going to say?
Here is where the greatness of Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ truly manifested. When she heard of this great news she forgot her poetry, her beauty, her place among her people, and all other things. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ remembered nothing but Allah’s promise and the transient nature of this world. Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ said:
“All praise is due to Allahﷻ who honored me with
their martyrdom. And I hope that my Lord will make me join them in the Abode of
His Mercy!”
It is noteworthy to add that the
commander of the faithful, namely Saiyidina Umar Ibn al-Khattab رضي الله عنه’ used to give Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه ’
the entitlement of her four martyred sons annually which was two hundred
dirhams until she died.
May Allahﷻ have mercy on Al-Khansa’رضي الله عنه’ the poetess! May Allahﷻ be pleased with this believing and patient lady! May Allahﷻ raise her ranks, just as she raised such pious, god-fearing and courageous sons.
The rising of the sun reminds me of Sakhr,And I remember him with every setting of the sun.If not for the numerousness of those bewailingtheir brothers, I would have killed myself.But I do not cease seeing one bereft of her childand one weeping over the dead on an unlucky day.I see her distracted by grief, weeping for her brotherthe evening of his loss or on the day after.They do not bewail the like of my brother, beutI console myself over him through their sorrow.
