This book was written to give students of Islam and the history of the Muslim peoples an introduction to the basic concepts and problems. It is not another narrative history, but a companion to the many accounts which are available: a perspective on the common denominators given to fourteen centuries of the Middle East and North Africa by Islamic rule and the Muslim creed. It is hoped that the indexed chronology will be found convenient as a reference guide to the main events, and that the bibliography will be useful as a guide to further reading for beginners and specialists alike. The publication of an English version four years after the original German edition has been a welcome opportunity to correct the text and to update the bibliography.