The ceremony was attended by Ayatollah Seyyed Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the founder Islamic Republic, scholars, intellectual, officials and people from various walks of life.
Imam Khomeini’s mausoleum, which is located on the southern suburbs of the Iranian capital Tehran, has become a center for social and religious gatherings in recent years.
This comes as Iranians of all social strata have taken religious commemoration centers across the country, unified by one cause, honoring the 40th day after the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (PBU), the third Shia Imam.
The occasion called Arba’een occurs 40 days after Ashura, the tenth day of the lunar calendar month of Muharram when the grandson of Prophet Muhammad was martyred at the hands of the tyrant of the time, Yazid I, back in the seventh century.
The first nine days of Muharram feature mourning processions in anticipation of Ashura.
The rituals culminate with Arba’een, known as the world’s largest annual pilgrimage.
Large numbers of pilgrims from across Iran and several other countries travel to Iraq each year, walking the distance between the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala, which houses the Imam Hussein (PBUH)’s holy shrine, so as to be able to be there by Arba’een.
Imam Hussein is a highly-venerated figure not only among Shias but also Sunni Muslims and followers of other divine religions and faiths.
The occasion has invariably worked to unify Muslims in the face of attempts to create misunderstanding, divergence and animosity among them.
Imam Khomeini, the late founder of Islamic Republic in his historic speeches and messages advised preachers, pilgrims and faithful to spread the divine perspectives of message of Ashura.