Abdullah ibn Mas’ud cherished this text among al-ʿItāq al-Ūwal—the early, exceptional chapters he learned first. Delivered in Makkah before the emigration, it takes the title of The Prophets by naming sixteen messengers. Only one other chapter names more, drawing direct lines between their ancient trials and the Prophet’s reality amid secret plots.

The verses open with a stark warning to a heedless humanity that the reckoning is imminent. The focus then expands to the heavens and earth, arguing the cosmic order could never survive a multiplicity of gods. From these signs, the text moves into a swift succession of prophetic histories—recounting the prayers and rescues of Ibrahim, Yunus, and Musa—proving every messenger brought the same truth and faced identical rejection.

The approaching Hour shadows these accounts, warning that all creatures face extinction and life remains a trial. Yet beyond the threat of sudden punishment and the release of Gog and Magog, a guarantee overrides the warnings. The earth is promised to the righteous believers, and the Prophet's mission is affirmed as a mercy to the worlds.