Were there women companions known for scholarship or courage in battle?

Yes. Alongside scholarly figures like Aisha and Umm Salamah, several female companions are remembered for physical courage in moments of crisis. Nusaybah bint Ka'ab, known as Umm Ammarah, fought at the Battle of Uhud, physically shielding the Prophet ﷺ with a sword and shield when the Muslim lines broke, and later took part in further battles, sustaining serious wounds in the process. Umm Sulaym bint Milhan is reported to have carried a dagger at the Battle of Hunayn, saying she would use it against any enemy who approached, and worked alongside other women treating the wounded and supplying water to the fighters. Other women accompanied the army specifically to nurse the injured and carry the wounded back to Madinah, a role recorded across several early historical narrations. These accounts, preserved in early biographical and historical sources, show that women's roles in the formative Muslim community extended beyond the household when circumstances demanded it — as scholars, nurses, logisticians, and at times combatants — consistent with the Quran's description of believing men and women as equally responsible and equally rewarded for righteous striving (33:35).

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