Martyr Qasem Soleimani’s Will

The following is the full text of the will and testament of Martyr Major-General Qasem Soleimani, the Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Forces who formerly led many operations during Saddam’s eight-year U.S.-backed war on Iran as well as accomplishing numerous other valorous achievements during his blessed life. His life was characterized by extraordinary faith, exemplary courage and passionate attachment to Wilayat. May he rest in peace and drink from the fountain of eternal bliss.

I testify to the main principles of Islam

I testify that there is no god, but Allah. And I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And I testify that the Commander of the Faithful Ali bin Abi Talib and his infallible offspring (the other 11 Imams) are our 12 Infallible Imams, and that these 12 Infallible Imams are the “Hujaj Allah” (Allah’s proofs).

I testify that the Day of Judgment is a truth, that the Qur’an is a truth, that Heaven and Hell are a truth, that the questioning and answering (in the grave) are a truth, and that Resurrection, Allah’s Justice, Imamate, and Prophethood are all truths.

O’ Allah, I thank You for Your blessings

O’ Allah, I thank You for transferring me from one loin to the next, from one century to the next, and from one family to the next, and You endowed me with the permission to live, exist, and be present during a time when I could witness one of your most prominent Awliya, one who is close to and a companion of the Infallibles; Your righteous servant – Khomeini, the Great. And, I thank You for letting me be his soldier.

If I did not have the grace to be a companion of Your Great Messenger, Muhammad al-Mustafa, and if I was not fortunate enough to live during the period of the oppression of Ali bin Abi Talib and his infallible and oppressed offspring, You have placed me upon the same path on which they offered their lives – lives which were worth all of the universe and its creatures.

O’ Allah, I thank You for placing me on the path of Your other righteous servant – after Your dear esteemed righteous servant Khomeini – whose being under oppression, even surpasses his righteousness. A man who is the present day’s wise sage of Islam, of Shi’ism, of Iran, and of Islam’s political world; the dear esteemed Khamenei (may my life be sacrifice for his).

O’ Nourishing Lord, thank You for allowing me to associate with Your best servants, for giving me the opportunity to kiss their heavenly faces, and for letting me smell their divine perfume – meaning the Mujahideen and the Martyrs on this path.

O’ Allah, O’ the Powerful Esteemed, and O’ the Merciful Provider, I prostrate before You in gratitude and humbleness for having placed me on the path of Fatimah, the pure, and her children; upon the Shi’ah denomination – the true perfume of Islam – and You graced me with the shedding of tears upon the children of Ali bin Abi Talib and Fatimah, the pure.

What a great blessing it is; Your greatest and most valuable blessing. It is a blessing that contains light, spirituality, and restlessness, in which there is the most assuring peace of mind. It contains a sorrow that gives off tranquility and spirituality.

O’ Allah, I am grateful to You for gracing me with a father and a mother who were poor but pious, who loved the Household of the Holy Prophet of Islam, and who always treaded the path of purity. I beseechingly request You to associate them with Your Awliya in Your Heaven, and grace me by allowing me to meet with them in the realm of the Hereafter.

O’ Allah, I have hopes for Your pardon

O’ dearly esteemed Allah, and O’ the Unique, Wise Creator! My hands are empty, and so is the backpack of my journey. I come to You without any provisions, hoping that You will treat me to Your banquet of pardon and generosity. I do not have any provisions with me; for what needs does a pauper have, when in the presence of the Generous One?

My shoes are filled with the hope of Your Grace and Your Generosity. I have brought with me two closed eyes, which contain a wealth in addition to all their impurities. They have a priceless treasure and that is a jewel which is the tears shed for Fatimah’s Husayn, a jewel which is the tears shed for the Ahlul Bayt, and a jewel which is the tears shed in the defense of the oppressed, the orphans, and the defense of the oppressed caught up in the claws of oppressors.

O’ Allah, I have nothing in my hands. They have nothing to present, nor do they have the power to defend. However, I have stored something in my hands, something due to which I am hopeful; and that is a continuous movement towards You.

When I reached out my hands towards You, when I put them on the ground and on my knees for Your sake, and when I carried weapons in order to defend Your religion; these are the wealth that I carry in my hands and I hope that You have accepted them.

O’ Allah, my legs are frail and have no stamina. They do not have the audacity to cross the bridge that crosses over Hell. My legs tremble even when crossing an ordinary bridge. Woe upon me, as Your path (the bridge over Hell) is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword. Yet, I harbor some hope that it is possible that I will not tremble, and it is possible that I may find salvation.

[For] I have set foot in Your Sanctuary with these feet, and I have circled around Your House (the circumambulation of the Holy Ka’bah). I have ran bare-footed in the shrines of Your Awliya, and between the shrines of Husayn and Abbas. I have folded and held together my knees in long [battle] trenches. And, I ran, jumped, crept, wept, laughed and made others laugh, cried and made others cry, and fell and picked myself up in defense of Your religion. I am hopeful that You will forgive them (my legs) because of this jumping, crawling, and the sanctity of these holy shrines.

O’ Allah, my head, my logic, my lips, my nose, my ears, my heart, and all the parts of my body harbor the same hope. O’ the most Merciful, the most Compassionate! Accept me; accept me pure. Accept me in a way that I will be worthy of seeing You. I do not want anything other than meeting You. Heaven for me is being next to You, O’ Allah!

I have been left behind the caravan of my friends

O’ Allah, O’ dearly esteemed One! It is many years now that I have been left behind from a caravan. And I have consistently sent others towards it, but I myself have been left behind it. But You Yourself know that I have never been able to forget them. Their memory and their names constantly echo, not in my mind, but rather in my heart and in my eyes, with tears and sighs.

My dear esteemed Allah! My body is becoming infirm. How is it possible for You to not accept someone who has been waiting at Your door for 40 years? My Creator, my Beloved, and my Love, I have constantly requested You to encompass my entire being with the love of You. Let me burn and die in being apart from You.

My dear esteemed One! I have wandered in the deserts with a feeling of restlessness and shame due to being left behind. I go from one city to another, and from this desert to the next, in winters and in summers, because I harbor a hope. [O’] Generous One, [O’] Beloved, I have fixed my hopes upon Your Generosity. You Yourself know that I love You. You know well, that I do not want anyone other than You. [So] join me to You.

O’ Allah, terror has engulfed my whole existence. I am not capable of reigning in my Nafs (self); do not disgrace me. I ask You, for the sake of those whose sanctity You have vowed to preserve, to join me to the caravan that has come towards You, before I see the sanctity of these shrines being disrespected.

[O’] the One whom I worship, [O’] my Love, and [O’] my Beloved; I love You. I have seen You and I have sensed You many times. I cannot remain separate from You [any longer]. It is enough. It is enough. Accept me, but only when I am worthy of You.

Addressed to my Mujahid brothers and sisters

My Mujahid sisters and brothers in this world, O’ you who have offered your heads for the sake of Allah, and have risked your lives, and have put them on sale in the market of love; please pay attention. The Islamic Republic is the center of Islam and the center of Shi’ism.

Today, it is Iran that is the base headquarters of Husayn bin Ali. Know that the Islamic Republic is a Haram, a sanctuary, and if this Haram (sanctuary) is preserved, the other Harams will also be preserved. If the enemy destroys this sanctuary, no sanctuary will remain – neither the sanctuaries belonging to Abraham nor to Muhammad.

My brothers and sisters! The world of Islam is consistently in need of leadership; leadership that is connected to and endorsed by the Infallibles in terms of Islamic law and jurisprudence. You know perfectly well that the purest religious scholar who shook the whole world and revived Islam – meaning our great and pure Khomeini – stated that “Wilayat-e-Faqih” is the only prescription for the salvation of this Ummah.

Therefore, whether you are of those who believe in “Wilayat-e-Faqih” as a Shi’ah [Muslim], based upon a religious belief, or you are of those who believe in it as a Sunni [Muslim], based upon logical belief; know that without [creating] any differences [among yourselves] – for the salvation of Islam – you must never abandon the tent of Wilayat.

This tent, is the tent of the Messenger of Allah. The foundation of the world’s enmity against the Islamic Republic, is to burn and destroy this tent. Circle around this tent [and protect it].

I swear to Allah, I swear to Allah, I swear to Allah; if this tent incurs a harm, there will be no sign of the Sacred House of Allah, and Madinah – the shrine of the Messenger of Allah – and Najaf, Karbala, Kadhimain, Samarra, and Mashhad won’t remain; [and] the Holy Qur’an will be harmed.

Addressed to my Iranian brothers and sisters

My dear esteemed Iranian brothers and sisters, you honorable and glorious people for whom I, and individuals like me, are willing to sacrifice our lives thousands of times – just as you sacrificed hundreds of thousands of lives for the sake of Islam and Iran – take care of the “Principles.”

The “Principles” means “Waliye-Faqih”; in particular that wise sage, the one who is under oppression, the one who is imbued with religion, jurisprudence, spirituality, and understanding. Consider the dear esteemed Khamenei to be your lives. Consider his respect to be from among the sanctities.

Brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers; my dear ones! The Islamic Republic is today experiencing its most glorious era. Know that it does not matter what the enemy thinks about you. What did the enemy think about your Prophet? How did the enemies behave towards the Messenger of Allah and his children? What accusations did they make about him, and how did they treat his pure children? The enemies’ reproach, censure, and pressure should not divide you.

Know this – and you do know this – that the most important achievement of the dear esteemed Khomeini was that he first applied Islam to help and support Iran, and then, he put Iran at the service of Islam.

If it were not for Islam, and if the Islamic spirit had not ruled over our nation, Saddam would have rented our country to pieces like a predatorial wolf, and America would have acted in the same manner like a rabid dog.

However, Imam Khomeini’s accomplishment was that he brought Islam to help and support this nation. He brought forth Ashura and the month of Muharram, the month of Safar and Fatimiyyah (the period of mourning lady Fatimah) to help and support this nation. He created revolutions within the revolution.

It is for this reason that in every period, thousands of self-sacrificing individuals laid down their lives to shield you – the Iranian nation, the soil of Iran, and Islam; and they disgraced [even] the biggest of materialistic powers. My dear esteemed ones, do not become divided over the “Principles.”

Martyrs are the axis of dignity and honor for us all. They have joined the vast ocean of Allah – the Glorified – not only for today, but for eternity. In your eyes, in your hearts, and on your tongues, regard them as great; as they truly are great.

Familiarize your children with their names and their photographs. Look with respect and honor towards the children of Martyrs, who are the orphaned children of us all. Respect their wives, and their fathers and mothers. In the same way that you treat your own children with leniency, pay special attention to the children of Martyrs in the absence of their fathers, mothers, wives, and children.

Respect your Armed Forces, which are today headed by the “Waliye-Faqih”, because they are defending you, your denomination, Islam, and the country. Likewise, the Armed Forces must protect, help, honor and respect the nation, its sanctities, and its soil, in the same way that they would defend their own homes. And towards their nation, the Armed Forces must be as the Commander of the Faithful – the Leader of the Pious – said, “The Armed Forces must be a source of dignity for their nation. They must be the castle and the refuge for the oppressed and the people, and they must be an adornment for their country.”

Addressed to the dear esteemed people of Kerman

I have a point to raise with the dear esteemed people of Kerman; a friendly people who made the greatest sacrifices throughout the period of the 8-year Sacred Defense and sacrificed great generals and honorable Mujahideen for the sake of Islam. I always feel ashamed before them.

They trusted me for 8 years for the sake of Islam. They sent their children to deadly battlefields and difficult wars such as the operations of Karbala-5, Wal-Fajr-8, Tariq-ul-Quds, Fath-hul-Mobin, Baytul-Moqaddas, and other operations. And, they founded a great and valuable army in the name of and for the love of our [Infallible] Oppressed Imam, Husayn bin Ali – the Tharallah Division. The Tharallah Division frequently made the hearts of our nation and of the Muslims happy; working like a sharp sword and removing the grief from their faces.

My dear esteemed ones! Today, I am no longer among you due to divine destiny. I love you more than my father, my mother, my children, my sisters and my brothers, because I spent more time with you than I did with them, while they were my flesh and blood, and I was theirs. But they also accepted that I dedicate my life and my existence to you and to the Iranian nation.

I would love for Kerman to always and until the end, remain with Wilayat. This Wilayat is the Wilayat of Ali bin Abi Talib, and this tent is the tent of Fatimah’s Husayn. Circle around it [and protect it]. I am with all of you. You know that I paid more attention to humanity, to affection, and to innate nature than to political colors. I am addressing all of you who consider me to be a part of you, and who consider me as your brother and your child.

I request you in this will, to not leave Islam alone in this period of time, when it has been manifested in the Islamic Revolution and the Islamic Republic. Defending Islam requires intelligence and special attention. In political matters, when it comes to the discussion of Islam, the Islamic Republic, the [Islamic] sanctities, and “Wilayat-e-Faqih”; know that these are the colors of Allah. Therefore, you must give preference to the colors of Allah over any other color.

Addressed to the families of the Martyrs

My children, my daughters and sons, the children of the Martyrs, the bereaved fathers and mothers of the Martyrs, O’ you shining lights of our country; brothers, sisters, and loyal, pious wives of the Martyrs!

The voice that I heard every day in this realm, to which I was so attached to, that gave me so much tranquility like the voice of the Qur’an did, and that I considered to be the greatest source of spiritual support for me, was the voice of the children of the Martyrs, which I would listen to almost every day, and also, that of the Martyrs’ fathers and mothers, in whom I sensed the presence of my own parents.

My dear esteemed ones! As long as you are the veterans of this nation, you must appreciate your value. Reflect and manifest your Martyrs in yourselves in such a way that whenever someone sees you – the fathers of Martyrs and the children of Martyrs – they sense that you are the living images of the Martyrs with the same degree of spirituality, power, and qualities.

I beseechingly ask you to forgive and pardon me. I was not able to do what was necessary for many of you, or even for the children of your Martyrs. I ask for forgiveness and ask you to pardon me.

I would like my body to be carried upon the shoulder of the children of the Martyrs, in the hope of receiving Allah’s attention, thanks to the touch of their pure hands on my body.

Addressed to the politicians of the country

I have a short point addressed to the politicians of the country, whether they refer to themselves as “Reformists” or as “Principalists.” What made me suffer the most was that we usually forget – or sacrifice – Allah, the Quran, and [Islamic] values under [these] two circumstances.

My dear esteemed ones, no matter what rivalry or contention you have with one another, if your actions, your words, and your debates weaken the religion and the [Islamic] Revolution – in one way or the other – know that you will receive the wrath of the Esteemed Prophet of Islam and the Martyrs on this path.

You should set limits. If you want to stand together, the condition for being together is agreement over the “Principles” and expressing them in an outspoken manner. The “Principles” are not lengthy nor are they too detailed (complex). The “Principles” are comprised of a few important tenets.

1. The first is believing in “Wilayat-e-Faqih” in practice. This means that you should listen to his advice and with your life and heart, act upon his recommendations and warnings, as a true physician of religious laws and science. A person who wishes to undertake a certain responsibility in the Islamic Republic must know that the main condition is having true belief in “Wilayat-e-Faqih” and acting on the words of the “Waliye-Faqih”. I am not speaking about a “Burning Furnace Wilayat” (referring to a narration from Imam Sadiq (A) where he asked one of his followers to sit in a burning furnace, and the follower immediately submitted to his order without hesitation), nor a Wilayat due to the law. Neither of these two will solve the problem of unity. Wilayat due to the law is particular to the common people in general – including Muslims and non-Muslims – but Wilayat in practice is particular to officials who want to shoulder the important affairs of the country, and that too an Islamic country with all these Martyrs.
2. Having true faith in the Islamic Republic and what it has been founded upon. This goes from morals to values, and to responsibilities; whether they are the responsibilities towards the nation or towards Islam.
3. Employing pure individuals who believe in the nation and who are at the service of the nation; not individuals who evoke the memory of former Khans, even if they are to be elected as a chairman of a very small remote village.
4. Officials must make their behaviors in accordance with confronting corruption, and refraining from corruption, and refraining from a luxurious lifestyle.
5. During their term of office in any position of responsibility, officials must consider respecting the people and rendering services to them to be acts of worship. And they must be truly at the service of the people, be the promoters of values; not boycotting values due to some vain excuses.
6. Officials must act like the fathers of the society, they must pay attention to their responsibility in the area of cultivating, nurturing, educating, and protecting the society, rather than supporting behavior – driven by negligence and emotions, and for the sake of winning the votes of people who have transient feelings – that would promote divorce and corruption in society and would cause families to break apart. Governments are the main factor in both strengthening families, as well as in causing families to break apart.

If the “Principles” are acted upon, then everyone will be on the path of the Leader, the [Islamic] Revolution, and the Islamic Republic. Then, there will be a proper competition based on these “Principles” for the sake of electing the most eligible person.

My brothers in the Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Army

I wish to address a brief word to my dear esteemed, self-sacrificing brothers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and in the IRGC-like Army. You must set courage and the power to manage a crisis as the main criteria for appointing commanders. It is natural for me to not mention Wilayat, because Wilayat is not a part or a component of the Armed Forces, rather it is the [very] basis for the survival of the Armed Forces. This condition of Wilayat is inviolable.

Another point is that you must gain a timely understanding of the enemy, his goals and his policies, and then, you must make timely decisions and act promptly. If any of these is carried out belatedly, it will have a major impact on your victory.

Addressed to the religious scholars and the honorable maraje’

I, a 40-year soldier in the field, would like to have a short word with the honorable religious scholars and the great Religious Authorities, who cast light upon society and eradicate darkness, in particular the Grand Religious Authorities of Emulation (Maraje’ Taqleed).

Your soldier has seen from a watchtower that if the Islamic Republic is harmed, religion and what you have endeavored hard to preserve in the Islamic Seminaries, and for which you have made every effort to develop expertise in, will be destroyed.

This period is different from all other periods. If the enemy takes control this time, nothing will remain of Islam. The correct path to take is to support without any reservation, the [Islamic] Revolution, the Islamic Republic, and the “Waliye-Faqih”. Others mustn’t make you hesitate [in the support of the aforementioned]; you – who are the source of hope for Islam.

All of you loved Imam [Khomeini] and believed in his path. Imam Khomeini’s path was the path of fighting against America, and supporting the Islamic Republic, and helping the Muslims that are oppressed by the Arrogant Powers; all under the flag of “Waliye-Faqih”.

Even with my flawed logic, I could see that some evil individuals tried and continue to try to persuade influential Religious Authorities and religious scholars in society into silence and hesitation through the use of self-righteous gestures and words.

The truth is clear. The Islamic Republic, [Islamic] values, and “Wilayat-e-Faqih” are the legacies of Imam Khomeini (R). Therefore, they must be seriously supported.

I see his eminence Hazrat Grand Ayatollah Khamenei greatly oppressed and alone. He is in need of your cooperation and assistance; and you great personages must direct (guide) the society to him, via your statements, your
meetings, and your support.

If this [Islamic] Revolution is harmed, then the situation will not even be like the time of the accursed Shah. It will be even worse than that, for the Front of Arrogance will do its best do promote sheer disbelief and deep deviation, which will not be reversable.

I kiss your blessed hands (in humbleness) and apologize for these words. I would have liked to make these statements in my meetings with you in person, but I was not graced with such.

Your soldier who kisses your hands.

I ask everyone to pardon me

I ask my neighbors, my friends, and my colleagues to forgive and pardon me. I ask the soldiers of the Tharallah Division and the great and honorable Quds Force – who are a thorn in the eye of the enemy and a strong fortification against it – to forgive and pardon me, in
particular those who helped me in a brotherly manner.

I cannot avoid mentioning Husayn Pur-Ja’fari who helped me well-intentionally and brotherly, as if to a child, and whom I loved in the same way that I loved my own brother. I apologize to his family, and to all my revolutionary and Mujahid brothers who were burdened because of me. Of course, all the brothers in the Quds Force showed me brotherly love and helped me, including my dear friend General Qa’ani, who tolerated me with patience and dignity.