Layla bint Tarif

Laylā bint Ṭarīf was a female warrior and poet and one of the Khawarij, a group known for its members' violent opposition to the established Caliphate, believing that leadership of the Muslim community was not limited to male Arabs of the Quraysh tribe. On the basis of women fighting alongside Muhammad, the Khawarij have viewed combat as a requirement for women, and Laylā bint Ṭarīf is a prominent example of this custom. Laylā was the sister of the Kharijite leader al-Walid ibn Tarif al-Shaybani. After al-Walīd's death, Laylā took on the leadership of his army and fought two battles before her clan forced her to step down.