On Saturday, September 6, the specialized conference titled “Human Rights and Dignity in the View of Prophet Muhammad” was held at Imam Reza Shrine in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad. 
Organized under the auspices of the Islamic Research Foundation and the Scientific and Cultural Organization of Astan Quds Razavi, the event marked the first session in a series commemorating the 1500th birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Held during Unity Week, the conference brought together scholars from across the Islamic world. 
Hoj. Sheikh Hassan al-Baghdadi, director of the Institute for Reviving the Heritage of Lebanese Scholars, opened the session by emphasizing the need to return to the Prophet’s teachings and the ethical model of Imam Reza. 
Citing Quranic verses, he affirmed human dignity and stressed: “True honor lies in piety, not race or status”.
Dr. Mahmoud Weisi of the University of Islamic Denominations spoke on the necessity of rediscovering the Prophet’s character as a foundation for personal and societal transformation. 
“The Prophet’s title ‘Mercy to the Worlds’ was earned through spiritual development, and that human dignity is the fruit of such growth”, he argued.
Dr. Mohammad-Hadi Fallahzadeh, president of the University of Islamic Denominations, described pilgrimage as a vital social communication system. 
He called for a sociological approach to Ziyarat (pilgrimage), emphasizing: “Human dignity applies universally, beyond ethnicity or belief”.
Dr. Abdolrahim Yaqubnia of Semnan University compared the Islamic view of dignity with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
“While the declaration affirms human worth, its double standards undermine its implementation”, he noted. 
He argued that the Prophet’s life embodied these principles centuries earlier and that Islam’s emphasis on piety offers a deeper foundation for justice.