Understanding the Function of Person-Centered Foretelling in the Life of Imam Ali (as)

In the belief of Shiites, imams have knowledge from Allah the Almighty and on the basis of that, they have excelled in various matters, one of the examples of which is foretelling. One of the issues that can be researched in the life of Imam Ali (as) is the function of the foretelling issued in different social conditions for different people. The problem of the present research is that what was the function of individual-centered foretelling in the life of Imam Ali (as)? Knowing the function, on the other hand, shows the distinction of Imam Ali’s (as) knowledge in comparison to the Companions and Caliphs, and it has also led to the understanding of his specialties in guiding people and societies, which has functions such as the following:Preparing companions for endurance against enemies expanding belief in the position of Imam's knowledge; proving and establishing the authenticity of the Imam, criterion to identify the enemy; the epistemology of the caliphate in the generation of the first caliphs, warning against deviant people, identifying anti-Ahl al-Bayt (as) elements, and the consequences of not accompanying the Imam of the Islamic community. In the end, this research has come to the conclusion that considering the role of people in historical events, Imam Ali (as) gave guidance with a forward-looking view in the form of foretelling. This research has been done in the form of a library with a descriptive and analytical method.