This portion of Al-Kitab takes its name from the prophet who wrote it, Prophet Hosea (pbuh). His writings are prophecies within which a story unfolds. The unfolding story becomes the basis for messages from Allah the prophet delivers to Bani-Israel. Briefly, the story is as follows: Prophet Hosea (pbuh) marries a woman named Gomer and she gives birth to 3 children (Jezreel, Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi). Gomer is unfaithful to and leaves her husband, but Hosea (pbuh) loves her still and searches for her and buys her back from the slavery she gave herself to. Hosea’s patient behaviour towards his unfaithful wife becomes an illustration of Allah’s patience and unchanging love toward Israel. Hosea (pbuh) was the only one of the writing prophets who lived and worked among the people of the northern kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim, Yaqub or Samaria). The people of Israel had given themselves fully to the worship of idols and various wicked practices. Because of this, Allah purposed that he would punish them. They would be without a king for many years, they would have no holy place to make offerings to any deity, and they would have no images to bow down to. This is the condition of Israel to this day. However, in this scripture Allah promises that in the future when Israel shall repent and return to Allah, he will be gracious to them once again.