As the first night of Muharram arrived, the traditional “permission to mourn” ceremony was held at Imam Reza shrine, marked by the raising of the black mourning flag atop the shrine’s golden dome.  
At sunset on the final day of Dhu al-Hijjah—the twelfth month of the Islamic lunar calendar—the city of Mashhad took on the solemn atmosphere of mourning for Imam Hussein. 
As the last rays of sunlight disappeared beyond the horizon, the black banner was hoisted, fluttering in the breeze as a symbol of the sorrowful tales of Karbala and the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, the 3rd Shia Imam. 
Following long-standing tradition, shrine servants and residents of Mashhad gathered at the sacred threshold of Imam Reza on June 27 to seek permission to mourn, joining the ranks of those who annually commemorate the tragedy of Ashura.  
The ceremony was held in Enqelab Courtyard with  Ayat. Ahmad Marvi, the Custodian of Astan Quds Razavi; Mostafa Feizi, the deputy custodian; Reza Khorakian, senior shrine director; and a large group of managers, servants, religious groups, and pilgrims in attendance.  
In part of the ceremony, Hoj. Mohammad Baqer Heydari Kashani offered condolences for the mourning season and described Imam Hussein as the embodiment of the “tranquil soul” mentioned in Surah al-Fajr—a chapter he said belongs to Imam Hussein and his followers. 
“Those who walk the path of truth will attain paradise and eternal blessings, while those who follow the path of evil will face dire consequences in both this world and the hereafter” he emphasized.  
As part of the event, the shrine’s dome flag and tomb cover were ceremonially replaced. 
A total of 145 mourning groups from across Iran received blessed flags from Astan Quds Razavi. 
The ceremony also featured visuals of Karbala, devotional recitations, and elegies by eulogists of the Ahl al-Bayt.  
The “permission to mourn” ceremony and the raising of the black flag atop the sacred dome are held annually on the eve of Muharram. The flag remains in place until the third of Rabi al-Awwal, transforming the shrine into a center of spiritual fervor and mourning for Imam Hussein.