chapter 9

A ROAR WENT UP FROM AISHA’S FORCES AS HER CAMEL WAS LED onto the ɹeld of

battle. It was a red riding camel—the best kind, fast and
sturdy—and the canopy set on top of it was draped not
with muslin but with chain mail and, over that, red silk.

The howdah towered over the vast array of horsemen
and infantry. More visible than any banner, it was an
instant rallying point for Aisha’s men. The most
prominent, the most outspoken, and the most beloved of
the Prophet’s widows, the one who had cradled his head
as he lay dying, was not merely on the sidelines; she was
right here, among them, right at the heart of battle.
Under the command of the Mother of the Faithful, there
was nothing they would not do.

Through the chinks in the chain mail, Aisha had a
clear view of the whole ɹeld. She could see where her
lines were doing well and where they were being
pressed, call for one sector to be reinforced or another to
advance. Her commands were relayed by runners to
Talha, who was in charge of the horsemen, and to