Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi. (2002-12)

Born 27 December 1896 in Gujrat, Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi was a many faceted personality. He was a physician, visionary, humanist, a spiritual and religious person, author, an educationist, philanthropist, who remained dedicated throughout his life to the service to Tibb, Pakistan and Islam. He also actively participated as a front line soldier with his Kashimiri brethern in 1948 in their freedom struggle.
It was through his untiring personal efforts that on 25 January 1946, Tibb Registration Committee came into being and was recognized by the then government in Punjab legislative Assembly. It was due to the dedication and exemplary hard work of shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Oarshi that Pakistan Government approved Unani, Ayurvedic and Homeopathic Practitioners Act, 1965. As a result, Tibbi Board came into being and Tibb was officially accepted as a system of treatment. It was his aim to lay the foundations for the clinical research in the profession of Tibb, so that all the contents in a medicine were fully utilized in every respect for the treatment of ailing humanity. As a physician he treated over two million patients.
Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi took on his professional, humanitarian and national responsibilities in a very devoted manner. He always made very active, positive exemplary and memorable contribution with long lasting impressions particularly to the professional benefit of all those associated with Tibb. These contributions have remained symbolic and have served as an alma mater for the future development and modernization of Tibb and Ayurvedic medicine.
Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi was a great admirer of our national poet Allama Muhammad lqbal and remained fully devoted to him as his personal physician from 1934 to 1938. For the professional excellence and also due to the successful professional struggle for Tabeebs and profession of Tibb, for securing a permanent place with the government authorities, title of Shifa-ul-Mulk was conferred upon him in 1946 by the then Chief Minister of Punjab. After the creation of Pakistan, Shifa-ul-Mulk presided over a large number of meetings, conferences, workshops and seminars for nourishing, upbringing and further developing "Tibb as a System of Treatment" both within and outside Pakistan.
Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi founded his Matab at Fleming Road Lahore in 1920. In 1958 Maulana Syed Suleman Nadvi inaugurated Matab Qarshi. Later on in 1968, Oarshi Dawakhana was formally inaugurated by the respected Mufti-e-Azam Palestine Syed Amin-ul-Hussaini.
Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi was appointed as Professor of Tibb at Tibbia College Delhi in 1917 on the recommendations of Maseeh-ul-Mulk Hakim Ajmal Khan. Due to his dedication and devotion to the profession of Tibb, he was appointed as the Principal of Tibbia College Bombay in 1918 to 1919. In 1920 Shifa-ul-Mulk took over the charge as principal Tibbia College Lahore, where he made significant contributions to the profession of Tibb for the next 26 years. As a sincere and pious flag bearer of Tibb, Shifa-ul-Mulk bravely fought for Tibb's recognition against both British forces and Indian masses. In the face of tough opposition Shifa-ul-Mulk ably fought with the opposing lobby and obtained a permanent place for Tibb at official platform along with establishing Tibb as an alternative medicine at government level. This historical achievement was a unique honour for Shifa-ul-Mulk's dedication to Tibb and to his professionalism in this field. During the period from 1920 to 1946, Shifa-ul-Mulk remained an active member of Tibb Research Committee, Hyderabad and the Tibb Research Committee Punjab.
In accordance with the desire of Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakim Muhammad Hasan Qarshi, for the welfare of humanity and particularly for the needy and poor, Begum Shifa-ul-Mulk laid the foundation stone of (Qarshi Foundation in 1994. This charitable unit was established from within the family resources and donations of Qarshi family without any outside assistance. Qarshi Foundation has since then made positive contributions for the needy and poor, besides the improvement of environment and protecting it from pollution.
Shifa-ul-Muik wrote, edited and authored over 1500 articles, books and publications both in Urdu and English. These writings covered a wide range of subjects including Islam, medicine, history philosophy of science and spiritualism. He also used to regularly contribute professional columns and articles to leading newspapers of that time. During his long & meritorious career held various important offices, Shifa-ul-Mulk Hakeem Muhammad Hasan Qarshi remained very actively and closely associated with Tahreek- e-Khalafat and worked as Vice President Khalafat Committee Lahore. He dedicated his efforts as a loyal and devoted team member with Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Maulana Shaukat Ali Khan and Maulana Muhammad Ali Jauhar.
QARSHI FOUNDATION
HEALTH SECTOR
Qarshi Foundation is working on "dispensaries" and "mother and child health care centres".
Currently there are seventeen "dispensaries" and one "mother and child health care centre" working under Qarshi Foundation.
According to its vision 2005, Qarshi Foundation plans to raise two hundred dispensaries and five mother and child health care centres primarily for the needy and poor.
Financial assistance is also given to considerable number of hospitals both at Lahore and Haripur.
EDUCATION SECTOR
Education development is one of the main objectives of Qarshi Foundation. Presently, Foundation is running a high school. It has thirteen hundred students and a staff of thirty-five teachers. There is no monthly fee. Only a nominal admission fee is charged once from each student. All kinds of expenses are borne by Qarshi Foundation. According to its Vision 2005, Qarshi Foundation has planned to open five high schools.
A "Vocational Technical Training Centre" is also working to help people in self sufficiency and self employment. Boys and girls are both trained in this institution. A "Qarshi Training Institute" is working for upgrading the capability of Tabeebs and it gives them the training in the use of modern diagnostic equipment. Scholarships are given to the needy and poor students. Scholarships are also given to regular brilliant students including school, graduate, post graduate and university levels.
PUBLICATIONS
Qarshi Foundation has published the following books for the promotion of medical and religious knowledge:
1. Kitab-us-Sehat2. Kitab-ul-Haj3. Hazrat Bilal (RA)4. Mushee-ul-Atibba5. Qaumi Sehat6. Kitab-ul-Kulliyat.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Qarshi Foundation gives financial assistance to widows, needy and poor. It helps poor families by providing them with the dowry for the marriage of their girls. Qarshi Foundation, besides helping poor families, also extends financial assistance to various hospitals and religious madrissas. Date of Issue (December 20, 2002)