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Al Khansa is considered by many as the greatest Arab poetess of all times,

renownedforhereloquenceandoutspoken courage, and she remains to this day a
legend in Arabic literary annals. She was born in 575AD, to a father who was the
chieftain of his tribe, Bani Sulaym, and all circumstances surrounding her youth
werepreparinghertobecomethegreatpoetessthatshewas.Historydoesnottell
us much about her childhood, except that she was nicknamed Al Khansa, which
means either the Gazelle or the snub nosed one and that she had a very strong
personalityandpresencesinceherearlydays.
AlKhansawassoproudofhertribethatsherejectedthemarriageproposalof
averyfamousknight,DuraidBinAlSamma,infavorofacousincalledRawaha.But
this marriage, the fruit of which was one child, Abullah, did not last long because
her husband was addicted to gambling. She remarried another cousin, Murdas Bin
AbiAmer,bywhomshehadfourchildren,Yazeed,Muawia,AmroandAmrah.
Inherearlyyears,AlKhansawroteafewlinesofpoetryeverynowandthen.
Infact most of what she wrote in her youth was lost because nobody at that time
caredmuchaboutherinherenttalent.Butwhatgainedhertheprestigiousstatus,as
themostfamouspoetesswastheprofoundsorrowandmourningshecarriedallher
life, following the tragic deaths of her two brothers Muawia and Sakhr. Both were
famousknightswhoweredestinedtodie in skirmishes with rival tribes. She wrote
several poems mourning the death of Muawia and inciting Sakhr to avenge his
brother. It is clear from her poetry that Sakhr was actually her favorite brother
especiallythathehadsharedhisresourceswithhissisterseveraltimesduringher
firstmarriagewheneverherhusbandlostallhehadingambling.
Sakhrinfactsucceededinkillingthekillerofhisbrother,butwasfatally
woundedinthebattle.Thebereavedsisterhadtowatchherbelovedbrother
sufferingandwitheringinfrontofhereyesforawholeyeartillhedied.Thepoems
shewroteduringthatyearandtheelegiesshewroteonthedeathofherbrotherare
regardedasthebestelegiesinArabicliteraryhistory.
Inoneelegyshesaid:
"Theheraldofthedeadannouncedtheloss

Ofthemostgenerousman,Sakhr
Andhecrieditsoloud
Thatfarandwidehewasheard.
Itwoundedmesopainfully
ThatinmymiseryIlookedlikeadrunkenperson.
EverymorningwhenIawaken,
Thefirstraysofthesunremindmeofhim
Andeveryeveningwhenthesunsets
Imournforhim
Andinanothershemourned:
Whathavewedonetoyoudeath
thatyoutreatusso,withalwaysanothercatch
onedayawarrior
thenextaheadofstate
charmedbytheloyal
youchoosethebest
iniquitous,unequalleddeath"
Notlongafterherordeal,AlKhansaarrivedinMadinahca.629witha
deputationfromhertribetoembraceIslam,andstartanewerathatgainedher
furtherfame.ShebecamethedistinguishedpoetessofArabiaduringtheearly
Islamicperiod.EvenProphetMohammedadmiredherversesandusedtoaskherto
recitemoreofit.
Shewasnotonlyapoetessshewasverybraveandvaliantaswell.Whenthe
MuslimsfoughtthePersiansinthebattleofQadisiyyashewaspresentatthefront
withherfoursons.Ontheeveofthebattlebyafieryandinspiringspeechshe
exhortedhersonstofightforthegloryofIslam.
Shesaid:"Mysons,Ihaveborneyouwithpainandbroughtyouupwithgreat
care.Ihavebroughtnodishonortoyourfamilyandnoslurtoyourtribe.Ihave
wroughtnoindignitytoyourfather'sprestige,andtherecanbenodoubtaboutthe
sanctityofthecharacterofyourmother.Now,therefore,listentome.
Rememberthegreatmeritoffightingfordefendingyourfaithrememberthe
Quranicinjunctionofadoptingpatienceinthemidstofdistress.Tomorrowmorning,
risefromyourbedhaleandheartyandjointhebattlewithfearlesscourage.Gointo
themidstofthethickestofthebattle,encountertheboldestenemyandifnecessary
embracemartyrdom."
ThefoursonsofAlKhansajoinedthebattlewithfearlesscourage.Thewordsof
theirmotherkeptringingintheirearsandtheyplungedthemselvesheroicallyinthe
thickofthebattle,andencounteredtheboldestenemies.TheyputmanyPersiansto
sword,butwerekilledoneaftertheother.
TheMuslimswonthebattleofQadisiyya,butKhansalostallhersons.Whenthe
newsofthedeathofhersonsreachedher,sheaskedthemessengeraboutthe
outcomeofthebattle.WhenshewastoldthattheMuslimshadwon,shethanked
Godforthemartyrdomofhersons,andsaid,"Whodies,ifIslamlives."

Whenshesawthedeadbodiesofhersons,shedidnotweep.Sheburstintoan
elegy:
"MysonsIboreyouwithpain
Andbroughtyouupwithcare
YouhavefallentodayforthecauseofIslam,
Whosaysyouaredead
Youareverymuchalive,andalivewithhonour.
Ifeelproudtobethemotherofmartyrs."
WhenKhansareturnedtoMadina,CaliphOmarBinAlKhattabwenttoherhouse
tocondolewithheroverthedeathofhersons.Khansamerelysaid:
"Congratulateme,AmirulMominin,
ForverilyIamthemotherofmartyrs."
Oldliterarybookstellusthatseveralfamouspoetsandwritersexpressedtheir
admirationofAlKhansaasapoetess.ThepoetBasharnotesthatthepoetryof
poetesseswasnotasstrongastheirmalecounterparts.Whenaskedaboutherhe
saidthatshewasbetterthanthebestpoets.AlNabeghahAlDhibiani,anothervery
highrankingpoetwhousedtopresideoverpoeticalcompetitionsandjudgewho
wasbetter,andforwhatreason,saidthatnopoetcouldevenmatchAlKhansa.

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