Quran the book of taking lesson from history :

Quran, as it says itself, is the best of stories. The majority parts of its verses are the narration of history of prophets and previous societies in the form of groups of beauty and ugliness. The Quran itself, introduces the purpose of explaining such events as taking advice by intellects and fecund. Imam Ali (AS) also, in many of his statements and writings, has pointed out to this fact at the call of time.

As he has stated in wise saying 313, one day Ha’reth avar, who was one of the companions of Imam Ali (AS) told him: do not you see, that people have reverted to sayings, stories and myths and abandoned the book of God (Quran)?

Imam (AS) asked: ((is it really so?))

He said: yes.

Imam (AS) stated: ((I heard from Prophet of God (PH) who stated: ((a sedition will happen.)) I asked him: what is the way coming out from the sedition? He stated: ((turn to the book of God; in which there are the report of people before you and the news of future people and the judgement about what is among you. Quran is the last say and it is not a joke.))

Quran the book of taking lesson from history

This narration has been written in volume 13 of Bahj-o-sabaqe fi sharh-e-Nahj-ol-balaqe and Shoushtari said: although it is one of the statements of Imam Ali (AS), but it is in fact one of the statements of Prophet (PH).

Imam (AS) in sermon 158 stated: ((People! Ask Quran to speak. Although Quran does not speak but I will give you news from it to you.)) then he adds:

((be aware that there is the knowledge of what will happen and the report of past and the cure of your pains and discipline and organization of what is among you.))

He in first sermon, introduces the lessons and examples of Quran as one of the different aspects of it.

Imam (AS) in sermon 147, knows the explaining of conditions of ancestors as one of the ways of guidance by Quran in order to people with realizing the power and wrath of God about the previous societies, that how they were destroyed, take lesson and advice; he stated:

(((Quran explains that how) God showed his power to those deniers and threatened them from his reverence and power and explained how by punishments destroyed the ruined, harvested them with his revenge and eradicated them.))