Includes bibliographical references (p. [529]-560) and index.

Preliminary Materials / B. Roggema -- Introduction / B. Roggema -- Note On Conventions / B. Roggema -- Chapter One. Muslim-Christian Confrontation And Counterhistory / B. Roggema -- Chapter Two. The Islamic Baḥīrā / B. Roggema -- Chapter Three. The Apocalypse Of Baḥīrā / B. Roggema -- Chapter Four. Baḥīrā’s Teachings / B. Roggema -- Chapter Five. The Qur’An Against Islam / B. Roggema -- Chapter Six. The Legend Outside The Legend / B. Roggema -- Chapter Seven. Concluding Discussion / B. Roggema -- Chapter Eight. The Recensions And The Manuscript Tradition / B. Roggema -- Chapter Nine. The East-Syrian Recension / B. Roggema -- Chapter Ten. The West-Syrian Recension / B. Roggema -- Chapter Eleven. The Short Arabic Recension / B. Roggema -- Chapter Twelve. The Long Arabic Recension / B. Roggema -- Bibliography / B. Roggema -- Scriptural Quotations And References / B. Roggema -- General Index / B. Roggema.

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From the eighth century onwards, Christians living under Islam have produced numerous apologetic and polemical works, aimed at proving the continuing validity of Christianity. Among these is the Legend of Sergius Baḥīrā, which survives in two Syriac and two Arabic versions, and appears here in edition and translation. Being a counterhistory of Islam, it reshapes early Muslim traditions about a monk recognizing Muḥammad as the final Prophet by turning this monk into Muhammad’s tutor and co-author of the Qur’an. In response to Muslim triumphalist propaganda, it portrays Islam’s political power as predestined but finite and unrelated to its religious message. This feature sets the legend apart from similar Christian accounts of the origin of Islam, East and West, which are reviewed in this study as well.