*Hakeem Muhammad Saeed remembered on his birth anniversary
Prominent and world acclaimed medical researcher Hakim Muhammad Saeed was remembered on the occasion of his birth anniversary on Thursday (January 9, 2020). Hakim Saeed was born on January 9, 1920. He was a renowned scholar, a philanthropist and the former governor of Sindh.
“The nature of man is that, he is glad to hear his goodness.” –Hakeem Muhammad Saeed
Hakeem Muhammad Saeed ancestors came in the Asian subcontinent from Kashgar (now Kashi, Xinjiang, China), in the reign of the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam. They first stayed at Peshawar for about 18 years, then moved to Multan and lastly settled down at Delhi.
His forefathers and family had been associated with the herbal medicine business, and had established the Hamdard Waqf Laboratories in India before 1947, which today has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of Unani medicines in the world.
Muhammad Saeed attended the local school where he learned Arabic, Persian, Urdu, English and studied the Holy Quran. At age 18, Hakeem Muhammad Saeed went on to attend the University of Delhi in 1938. There, Saeed obtained a B.Pharmacy degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in medicinal chemistry in 1942.
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After his undergraduate education, Saeed joined Hamdard Waqf Laboratories (established by his forefathers and family) as a junior researcher and participated in herbal quality control while formulating medicines. After the independence he left India with his wife and daughter and settled in Karachi, Pakistan and here he established Hamdard Foundation in 1948. Within few years, the herbal medical products of Hamdard became household names. Hamdard is one of the largest production facilities of traditional or herbal medicines in Pakistan. Hakim Saeed’s work in reviving traditional medicine is considered to be pioneering in contemporary times because he established Hamdard on modern footings and got it recognized by established bodies like World Health Organization (WHO).
Hakim Muhammad Saeed was always optimistic and enthusiastic about Pakistan and what all this country has to offer. He established ‘Madina-tul-Hikmat’ (city of wisdom) in outskirts of Karachi, which today houses different institutions of higher education including Hamdard University. Hakim Saeed was always very fond of interacting with children and was a popular figure among them through his writing for a children magazine, Naunehal. Hakim Mohammed Saeed authored and compiled several books which include books on religion, Tibb (natural medicine), health and sciences, literature, social and scientific topics and travelogues.
In recognition of his services, he was awarded Nishana-e-Imtiaz (Order of Excellence) by the State of Pakistan in 2002. In 1998, unluckily Hakeem Muhammad Saeed was assassinated while he was on his way to take part in a medical experiment at the Hamdard Laboratories.