4) Message from the Commander of the Supreme National Defense University on the 6th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of Major General Qasem Soleimani

«وَلا تَحسَبَنَّ الَّذینَ قُتِلوا فی سَبیلِ اللَّهِ أَمواتًا  بَل أَحیاءٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِم یُرزَقونَ» (آل‌عمران: ۱۶۹)

“Do not think of those who have been killed in the way of Allah as dead. Rather, they are alive with their Lord, being provided for.”

                                                                               (Al-i ‘Imran 3:169)

Let us view our beloved martyred commander as a school of thought, a path, a teaching institution. I will never forget the memory of our dear Martyr Soleimani.

The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, His Excellency Ayatollah Imam Khamenei (may his authority be everlasting)

On the eve of the anniversary of the martyrdom of the unparalleled commander of the resistance, Major General Martyr Haj Qasem Soleimani, the Supreme National Defense University humbly bows before the greatness of his noble spirit. A martyr who embodied the words, “Among the believers are men who have been true to what they promised Allah” (Al-Ahzab 33:23), standing steadfast to his covenant with God and the nation until the last breath. Martyr Soleimani was the embodiment of loyalty, courage, and dedication to lofty human and Islamic ideals. He spent his life striving for the security, independence, and dignity of Iran and the Islamic Ummah, and he was not merely a military commander but a transnational symbol of steadfastness against oppression and arrogance. From the plains of Syria to the lands of Iraq and the borders of the homeland, his presence always shone as a banner of hope and capability for the oppressed people of the world.

Martyr Haj Qasem is not merely a name; he is a school of thought. A school that combined the lesson of courage on the battlefield with humility at the prayer mat, and struggle in armed combat with a model of unparalleled obedience to leadership rooted in love, faith, and loyalty. He was a professor at the living university of “Greater Jihad” and “Lesser Jihad”, a university whose classrooms were the harsh plains and distant nights away from home, and whose lessons were dignity, independence, and Islamic honor.

This university, as a symbol of knowledge and scholarship in this land, learns from this great martyr that true knowledge is the knowledge that guides a person to “remain steadfast as you have been commanded” (Hud 11:112)—knowledge that serves the endurance of a nation in preserving its dignity. Haj Qasem was a living embodiment of “harsh against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves” (Al-Fath 48:29)—stern with the enemies, yet compassionate toward the people and the fighters.

On the eve of the anniversary of the martyrdom of the legendary figure of resistance and selflessness, the proud commander of Islam, we once again reaffirm our steadfast belief that his path is the “straight path” of defending the sanctity of Iran and Islam. We, the faculty and students of the Supreme National Defense University, consider honoring his memory as continuing his path—a path carried forward through profound research, the education of committed individuals, and sincere service to the people of this land.

We offer our deepest respect and devotion to the presence of that exalted martyr and to all the martyrs of the path of our homeland and Islamic dignity. May his memory endure, may his path be widely followed, and may his soul be united with the martyrs of Karbala.

He extends his deepest respect and heartfelt reverence to the memory of that noble martyr and all those who sacrificed their lives for the homeland and the dignity of Islam. May his memory endure, his path be ever followed, and his soul be united with the martyrs of Karbala.

Commander of the Supreme National Defense University
Major General Dr. Esmaeel  Ahmadi-Moghadam