On January 3, Iranians will pay tribute to Major General Qassem Soleimani, marking the fourth anniversary since his assassination in 2020.
The deep respect that every layer of Iranian society shows for him - from the people to the leadership cannot be ignored.
He was the most symbolic anti-terrorist figure of the modern era. His experiences and efforts to eradicate ISIS and Daesh make not only the Iranian nation indebted to him, but also all those who believe in humanity and freedom.
Sardar Soleimani was a unique and multi-dimensional person who had an impeccable moral character, unmatched leadership ability and military strategic skills in a rare combination with a warm-hearted, caring and selfless personality.
He was the epitome of an exemplary Islamic leader sympathetic to his soldiers, his country, Iran and the entire Islamic nation.
The enemies of Islam martyred the cutting edge of the Islamic resistance movement.
Soleimani was from a humble family and was born in a simple family in the southeast of Kerman province of Iran. Both in his personal life and on the battlefield, he was always humble and modest in his appearance, clothes, manner and behaviour. Contrary to his position, the amenities he had in life were similar to those of an ordinary person.
The general never courted fame nor public adulation; he simply got on with the task assigned to him and completed that task with great skill and courage.
He was one of the most influential figures in the Middle East in the last decade. He was full of love, sincerity and attention to humanity. His personality, along with his skilled and strategic mind, created a prominent front against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
He is known as a brave commander and his role in helping defeat ISIS makes him a national hero and a martyr among the people of Iran and other Middle Eastern countries.
Sardar Soleimani was the symbol of victory over ISIS, the world's biggest terrorist machine. The world will never forget the massive funerals for him and his comrades in Iran, Iraq and elsewhere, which went beyond all conventional expectations of commemorating selfless heroes.
The martyrdom of Soleimani is a historic event. It is not a normal event that will be erased from historic memory. That event was recorded in history as a brilliant incident. Shahid Soleimani turned into the champion of the Iranian nation and the Islamic Ummah. This is a fundamental point.
Iranians are proud of themselves for the fact that a man rose from a distant village who turned into a brilliant personality and a champion of the Islamic world as a result of his endeavours and self-edification.
Soleimani was a perfect man of God, as well as his Iraqi colleague in the fight against terrorism, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, and these two were martyred in the early hours of January 3, 2020 at the Baghdad airport, which was a cowardly attack because their cowardly enemies did not have the ability to confront them on the battlefield. And they chose drones to assassinate them.
The supreme sacrifice of this brave commander breathed a new life into the resistance against injustice, hypocrisy and dehumanisation. In fact, he was the "voice" of all nations that are not "ready to surrender" to arrogant powers.
The spirit of his strong character lives on and his vibrant legacy continues to inspire current and future generations of youth to stand firm in the face of bullying terrorists, whether ISIS or its supporters.
The writer is a political commentator