Qasem Soleimani was a towering figure in the Iranian resistance and revolutionary movement. You are holding in your hands an English translation of the first-ever book published by the Hajj Qasem Library. It is an autobiography of Qasem Soleimani, former commander of the Qods Force; an elite branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Of course, if you are reading this, you are likely already familiar with this man and his life's work.

Soleimani is viewed primarily as a military leader, by his lovers and haters alike. However, this work is not a story of the life of General Qasem Soleimani - the commander, the strategist - so much as it is an account of the exceedingly simple and modest lifestyle of rural (and more specifically, tribal) Iran before the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Thus, this autobiography can be described as an origin story: a first-hand look into the humble beginnings of a man who would end up shaking the world to its core.

‘In the name of the Exalted. Anything that contributes to the remembrance of our dear martyr, is pleasing to the eyes and to the heart. Although God has indeed placed Soleimani’s memory at the highest level of prominence – and thus gave him a worldly reward for the sincerity and purity of his actions, we each have a duty as well. I have yet to read the book which you currently hold in your hands, but it can hopefully be a step in this direction.

“God has bestowed us with what He has provided from His grace.”’

Seyyed Ali Khamenei
27th of December, 2020