Cover; Half Title; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication; Table of Contents; Preface; List of abbreviations; 1 Introduction; 2 Shifting patterns of identity and early Islamic historiography in context; 3 The opening of the drama: Shāpūr and the Sheikh; 4 Bahrām V Gūr, the Lakhmids, and the Hephthalite disaster; 5 The twilight of Sasanian power: Khusraw I Anūshirvān and the saga of Ḥimyar; 6 The buildup to the confrontation: Khusraw II Parvīz and the rise of the Arabs; 7 The climax: the Islamic victory over the Sasanians; 8 Conclusion; Bibliography; Index