Theodore Noldeke (1836-1930) was a German philologist who studied extensively the Semitic languages and the history of Islam. In 1859 his account of the history of the Qur'an won the French Academie des inscriptions prize. In the present volume (originally published in 1892) his survey includes episodes from both Islamic and Christian traditions in the Middle east. His scientific approach to the language of the Qur'an will claim the attention of the student of world religions, while chapters about the development of the Islamic faith and the deeds of some of its leaders will be of interest from both an historical and a theological viewpoint. In particular, the reader will be able to compare a nineteenth-century attitude towards a major world faith with the more broadly based approach of today.