Acknowledgments
Introduction
List of Abbreviations
1. Sources and Style
Range of Sources
The Historian's Craft
History and adab
Mas'udi's Style
The isnad
2. Reflections on Historical Method
Reasons for Reflecting on History
The Background: History, Theology and the Natural
Sciences
The Value of History
The Modes of Apprehension
Nature and the Supernatural
The Concept of bahth
3. Divine and Natural Factors in Human History
Introductory Remarks
The Creation of the World
Prophecy and Prophets
Natural Religion: Reason and Revelation
Nature and Society
Religion and Kingship
The Sources of Mas'údi's Views
4. The Ancient Nations
The Ancient Nations and Islam
Genealogy of Ancient Nations
The Seven Ancient Nations
Patterns in the History of Ancient Nations
The Problem of Progress
5. The Pre-Islamic Arabs and Islam
General Problems
Pre-Islamic Arabia
The Prophet's Life
The First Four Caliphs
The Umayyads
The Abbasids
Mu'tazilism and Shi'ism
Conclusion
Appendixes
A. Fragments of a Biography
B. Reconstruction of Lost Works
Index