The Last Ummah Before Ours

Number one: the ummah of Banū Isrāʾīl is the last Muslim ummah before the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). There were many Muslim nations throughout history: the ummah of Nūḥ, the ummah of Ādam, the ummah of Hūd, the ummah of Ṣāliḥ. The last of them is the ummah of Banū Isrāʾīl. So they are the closest to the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him). And since the ummah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) inherits all of the former messages, it is important for us to know the ummah that came right before us — the ones who preceded us.