Khamenei.ir - Major General Qassem Soleimani of IRGC has been awarded the Order of Zulfaqar by the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces, Imam Khamenei.

"One’s endeavors in the way of God cannot be rewarded and compensated with anything worldly. Allah the Exalted says, “Allah has purchased of the believers their lives and their possessions; for theirs (in return) is the Heavens (Paradise): they fight in His cause, and slay and are slain” [The Holy Quran, 9: 111]. What is offered to you in return for jihad in the way of God and what Allah the Exalted grants in return for laying down your life and offering your possessions is paradise and divine satisfaction.

What we grant— including our verbal and non-verbal gratitude, and the medals of honor, orders and epaulets that we grant— are things which are noteworthy on the basis of worldly calculations, but on the basis of spiritual and divine calculations, they are not noteworthy.

Thankfully, all of you have made these endeavors and efforts. Allah the Exalted has thankfully blessed our very dear brother – Mr. Soleimani. He has time and time again exposed his life to the invasion of the enemy and he has done so in the way of God, for God and purely for the sake of Allah.

And he has made a great endeavor. I hope that Allah the Exalted will reward and bless him, that He will help him live a blissful life and that He will make his end marked by martyrdom. Of course, not so soon. The Islamic Republic will be needing his services for many years to come, but I hope that his services will culminate with martyrdom, God willing. I hope that this [award] will be an auspicious one for you, God willing."