Sunday, August 17, 2014

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was a medical researcher, scholar, philanthropist, and a Governor of Sindh Province, Pakistan from 1993 until 1996. Said was one of Pakistan's most prominent medical researchers in the field of Eastern medicines. He established the Hamdard Foundation in 1948, prior to his settlement in West Pakistan. In a few years time, the herbal medical products of the Hamdard Foundation became household names in Pakistan. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed authored and compiled about 200 books in medicines, philosophy, science, health, religion, natural medicine, literary, social, and travelogues. On October 17, 1998, Said was assassinated by a group of unknown assailants while he was on his way to attend a medical experiment at the Hamdard Laboratories.

Biography :-

Youth :-

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was born in New Delhi, British Indian Empire in 1920 to an educated and religious Urdu-speaking class. His forefathers and family had been associated with the herbal medicine business, and had established the Hamdard Waqf Laboratories which today has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of Unani medicines in the world. Said attended the local school where he learned Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English and studied the Quran. At age 18, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed passed the university entrance test and went on to attend the University of Delhi in 1938. There, Said obtained a BPharm and B.S. in medicinal chemistry in 1942. After his undergraduate education, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed joined Hamdard Waqf Laboratories as a junior researcher and participated in herbal quality control while formulating medicines. In 1945, Said attended the post-graduate course, and obtained MPharm in Pharmacy from the same institution. After the independence of Pakistan in 1947, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed left his hometown with his wife and daughter. The family settled in Karachi, Sindh Province of West Pakistan. He established Hamdard Laboratories and served as its first director until his death in 1998. In 1952, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed traveled to Turkey where he attended the Ankara University and was awarded a Ph.D in Pharmacy, then returned to Pakistan to devote his life to medicine research.

Scholarship :-

Following his settlement in Pakistan, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed began practicing medicine and continued to research Eastern medicines. Having established the Hamdard Laboratories in 1948, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was one the driving force in Pakistan for engaging the research in medical biology and medicines. In 1953, after his doctorate, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed joined the Sindh University as the associate professor of Pharmacy and taught courses in organic chemistry.Hakeem Muhammad Saeed In 1963, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed resigned from his position due to amid differences with the Federal government. In 1964, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed came into public limelight when he gave rogue criticism to Lieutenant-General Vajid Burkie, then-Surgeon General of Army Medical Corps and then high profile officer leading the Ministry of Health under the government of Field Marshal Ayub Khan. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed criticized the General, saying, "General Vajid Burkie used to say that Eastern medicine and homeopathy were quackery". Said began to write articles organised conferences and lobbied hard for the ban of Eastern medicine, and Ayub Khan had to pass a law legalizing Eastern medicine, due to amid fear of his government's bad credibility.
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Shaheed

In 1985, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed founded Hamdard University, where he served its first Vice-Chancellor and as a professor.

The crowning activity of his life is the establishment of Madinat-al-Hikmah. It comprises Hamdard University with such institutes as Hamdard College of Medicine and Dentistry, Hamdard Al-Majeed College of Eastern Medicine, Hafiz Muhammad Ilyas Institute of Herbal Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Education & Social Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Management Sciences, Hamdard Institute of Information Technology, Hamdard School of Law, Faculty of Engineering Science & Technology, Hamdard Public School and Hamdard Village School. Bait-al-Hikmah (the Library) is also a constituent part of Madinat-al-Hikmah. This is one of the biggest and best-stocked libraries of Pakistan.
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed wrote, edited or compiled over 200 books and journals in Urdu and English on Islam, Education, Pakistan, Science, Medicine and Health. Besides writing travelogues of countries he visited, he also wrote books especially for youth and children. He also edited some journals such as Hamdard Islamicus, Hamdard Medicus, Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society “Historicus”, Hamdard Sehat and Hamdard Naunehal. For several years he was also editor of Payami, the Urdu edition of UNESCO'S journal Courier. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed participated in various international conferences on medicine, science, education and culture and traveled widely to many countries of the world. While in Pakistan he organized numerous international and national conferences on topics of prime importance. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed created two widely attended national forums: Hamdard Shura (for leaders of public opinion) and Naunehal Assembly (for children). He held offices and memberships in dozens of national and international organizations related to education and health care. He launched two journals, Hamdard Medicus and Hamdard Islamicus. Hamdard-e-Sehat, which was already being published under his editorship since 1940, also appeared from Karachi in 1948. He launched a magazine for young readers, Hamdard Naunehal, and established a separate division, Naunehal Adab, for producing quality books for children.
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was an exponent of Eastern medicine who had treated patients from all over the world including Pakistan, Europe, Africa and the Middle East by the time of his death in October 1998. He helped get alternative medicine recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO). After a fifty-year career as a practitioner of Greco-Arab medicine, he was posthumously awarded the Nishan-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in 2002.

Shahadat And Investigation :-

Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was murdered on October 17, 1998. His murderers were caught by DIG Farooq Amin Qureshi, CCPO Karachi at that time. He was highly appreciated and is one of the most renowned police officers of Pakistan to this day. Several MQM workers were arrested and subsequently sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court.On 26April 2014, The Supreme Court upheld the verdict of Sindh High Court (SHC) regarding acquittal of MQM workers in Hakeem Muhammad Saeed murder case.
An anti-terrorism appellate bench of the SHC had acquitted all nine people accused of murdering famous philanthropist and physician Hakeem Muhammad Saeed in 2001.
The verdict was challenged by the then provincial government.
MQM workers, Mohammed Amirullah, Mohammed Shakir alias Shakir Langra and Abu Imran Pasha, were among those acquitted by the court.

Family :-

Idara-e-Saeed Research and Documentation Centre :-

Hamdard University Logo
Hamdard University Logo
In order to preserve his works, a Research and Documentation Center named Idara-e-Saeed has been set up. It is a joint venture of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Pakistan, Hamdard University, and Hamdard Foundation Pakistan. Idara-e-Saeed will project and focus the life and works of Shaheed Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, most particularly in the field of science, education and research, medicine and health care. The project is aimed at the collection of Shaheed Hakeem Muhammad Saeed's speeches, writings (both published and un-published), personal memorabilia, photographs and artifacts. After the collection of materials related to his life and works, all records will be preserved and displayed in a scientifically arranged and properly managed museum. Hakeem Muhammad Saeed Archives / Museum is being set up at Madinat-al-Hikmah.
Idara-e-Saeed will also initiate research projects leading to the award of post graduate (M.Phil. & PhD) degrees on the contribution of Hakeem Muhammad Saeed to Islam, education, medicine, sciences & culture. Idara-e-Saeed will also patronize publications of literature and books written by different authors on the life of Hakeem Muhammad Saeed, his personality, leadership and his endeavors for the propagation and promotion of education and learning. The first M.Phil degree on the life and works of Said was awarded to Mr. Javed Swati at the Hamdard University convocation 2002. His topic of research was “Education Ideas & Perceptions of Hakeem Muhammad Saeed”.

No comments :

Post a Comment

Assalam.o.Alaikum. Thanks For Your Precious Time.
Please Note That We Believe In Freedom Of Speech And Respect Everybody's Opinion But We Will Not Tolerate Any Abusing And Blasphemous Comment Based On False Foreign Supported Propaganda Against This Motherland Pakistan Or Islam. So Please Be Careful. We Will Reply Back To You As Soon As Possible.