Hamdard was established in 1906 in Delhi India. By Hakim Abdul Majeed --- a visionary physician and distinguished herbalist and father of Hakim Mohammad Said, he passed away when Hakim Mohammad Said was only 2 years old and his elder brother, Hakim Abdul Hameed was 14.
In such a discouraging situation, when there was no one to support Hamdard, his widow, Rabia Begum, a brave and wise lady, came forward and took the helm of the affairs of Hamdard in those days when purdah (veil to cover face or head) was strictly observed by the Muslim ladies. She made Hamdard to stand firmly on its feet with the help of her elder son, Hakim Abdul Hameed. Later on Hakim Mohammed Said joined hands with his elder brother to strengthen the Hamdard further. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, Hakim Mohammed Said, being staunch supporter of Pakistan movement, migrated to Pakistan and landed in Karachi in early January 1948. He established Hamdard in June 1948 in Karachi at the same place where he breathed his last as he was martyred on 17th October 1998 just in front of the gate of his matab (Clinic). His martyrdom was a great loss not only for Hamdard but for the whole nation as the nation was deprived of a national hero. May Allah give him higher abode in paradise.
Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said was a multidimensional personality. He was a true and simple Muslim and a patriotic Pakistani, who loved Pakistan with his heart and soul. He was an industrious man and had great skills of time management. His aim of life was to serve humanity irrespective of caste, creed and religion. To me he was a great and ideal person, who became a legand in his own lifetime. His vision works as a moral booster and a rudder for us.
Renowned western thinker George Bernard Shaw has said: "All progress of the world depends on unusual men". Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said was an extraordinary and unusual man. It was, therefore, very difficult to fill his shoes as no one could work and deliver like him. It is very difficult to emulate a man, who hardly slept 3 or 4 hours in 24 hours. It someone can possibly work like him, that is no other than his only daughter, Sadia Rashid, who is also a house wife, looks after her husband and daughters and simultaneously is complying with her official responsibilities in Hamdard with capability and in befitting manners. She also takes care of Hamdard University's affairs, being the Chancellor of the university. All these talents, eminent working capacity and qualities are a part of her DNA, transferred from her illustrious father. Over all, I think, affairs of Hamdard are going well by the grace of Allah Almighty.
Hamdard has tried its level best with appropriate planning to adopt new technologies. For instance, the use of bluster packing machine was first of all, introduced by Hamdard in Pakistan in Hakim Sahib's time in 1981. You may assess the modern approach of Hakim Sahib. He was a much travelled man, who visited the most parts of the world and collected all important information from wherever he went and tried to use them in Hamdard. He was of the opinion that doing so he was trying to enrich Tibb-e-Unani (Eastern Medicine) so that it can deliver and benefit to the common man. As far as the modern technology is concerned, I observed that Hakim Sahib was far ahead than a common Pakistani. He was a futuristic, who believed in research and development and fancied a change in eastern medicines in order to bring this system of medicine to the aspirations of modern man and to accomplish the requirement of today.
The first and foremost responsibility of mine is to keep intact Hamdard's moral philosophy of business, envisaged by Shaheed Hakim Mohammed Said, and to promote it further. I believe, I have another responsibility ie to save and promote the Tibb-e-Unani, the legacy of our forefathers. If we are successful in protecting this legacy it means that we have done some thing good and great. We should take care of our heritage, culture, language, civilisation, economy and the country. This should be the prime objective of ours. I had a family relation with Hamdard that still continues and will continue forever. Twenty six and a half years ago I made a practical relationship with Hamdard. Having studied in USA, when I came back to Karachi, Hakim Sahib asked me to join Hamdard. I was a young man at that time, who just returned from America. So I asked Hakim Sahib in pure business like manner, "Would you be able to satisfy me?" He said: "Look at our work, try to understand the nature of work and our temperament too, then you would be able to make some concrete decision."
-- Profile of Hakim Mohammed Said Shaheed
-- Born: 9th January 1920 at Delhi, India
-- Died: 17th October 1998 (Assassinated in Karachi)
-- Father: Hakim Abdul Majeed (Founder of Hamdard Dawakhana, Delhi, India) (Died in 1922)
-- Mother: Rabia Begum
-- Married in: 1943
-- Wife: Naimat Begum (Died 18th August 1981)
-- Children: One daughter (Sadia Rashid, President, Hamdard Foundation Pakistan)
-- Education: BEMS (Bachelor of Eastern Medicine) from Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbi (Medical) College Delhi, in 1940 and D. Sc. "Medicina Alternative" The International Multidisciplinary Scientific Society on Alternative Medicine, 1984.
Migration: Migrated to Pakistan 9th January, 1948 Professional Life: Established his Clinic in Karachi in 1948. Started manufacturing Herbal Medicines. Served as teacher in "Kotwal Building School", Karachi. Hamdard Dawakhana was inaugurated on 19th June 1948. This was the beginning of Hamdard in Pakistan. By 1953 Hamdard had gained the status of a fully-fledged pharmaceutical industry. At this stage Hakim Mohammed Said transformed Hamdard into a WAQF (Trust). Today Hamdard is one of the biggest manufacturers of Herbal Medicines in Pakistan.
Establishment of Tibbia College: In 1958 he established Hamdard Tibbia College (now known as Hamdard Al-Majeed College of Eastern Medicine - a constituent faculty of Hamdard University). It is offering five years degree course in Unani Medicine, for the first time in Pakistan. Hundreds of students have completed education from this college.
Positions Held: 1. He was the Advisor/Federal Minister to the President of Pakistan, General Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq 1979-1982.
2. Governor of Province of Sindh (Pakistan) 1993. During his tenure as Governor he awarded Charters for the establishment of four Universities in Karachi.
Awards: 1. Nishan-e-Imtiaz (highest civilian award of Pakistan) awarded by Government of Pakistan in 2000.
2. Sitara-e-Imtiaz by Government of Pakistan in 1966
3. Islamic Medicine Award, Kuwait Foundation for the advancement of Science Kuwait 1982
4. Sadiq Dost Award from people of Bahawalpur (Pakistan)
5. Certificate of Merit from Institute of History of Science and Technology, Istanbul Technical University 1981.
Clinics: He started his first Clinic in Karachi in 1948. Afterwards he expanded his area of service to the other cities also. He regularly visited his clinics in Karachi, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Lahore every month. He treated millions of patients but never charged any Consultation Fee. Rather he gave free medicines to many deserving patients.
Some salient Features of His Personality:
1. He did not believe in accumulation of property or wealth.
He never owned any property for himself in Pakistan or elsewhere except one house in which he lived from 1948 till his assassination.
2. Adopted a distinctive dress of white Sherwani.
He occasionally used to wash his Sherwani himself.
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