[1] The text retains the essential plot from earlier romances,[2] and is a witness to common motifs of Alexander such as his horns.
Kotar divides them into two main classes of texts: one where legend surrounds a historical stratum, and one that is purely fabulous.
[4] The text begins with a typical Arabic prayer to God asking for mercy and help in telling the story.
Following the designation originating from the Quran, Alexander is often referred to by the title Dhu al-Qarnayn ('The Two-Horned One').
He later inscribes Christian prophecies onto pillars in the city of Alexandria (who he captures in this text as opposed to founds in earlier versions of the romance).