By TCN News,
New Delhi: In order to commemorate the life and achievements of Hakim Muhammed Abdur Razzack, a Memorial Lecture was held at Jamia Hamdard highlighting his contribution to the growth and development of the Unani system of medicine in India.
The event was organised on Friday by Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM), Ministry of AYUSH here on the occasion of the 24th death anniversary of Hakim Mohammed AbdurRazzack who was its Founder Director.
Rich tributes were paid to Hakim Abdur Razzack by members of the Unani fraternity during the program.
Professor Raisur Rehman, Director General, CCRUM in his welcome address said that for Hakim Abdur Razzack, who was an Honorary Physician to the President of India, the development and promotion of Unani medicine was the focus of his life towards which he worked with a missionary zeal. If Unani medicine has gained respectability and legitimacy as a scientific discipline, the credit goes to Hakim Abdur Razzack for his untiring efforts.
Delivering the memorial lecture, Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, former Director, Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Hyderabad, threw light on Tibb-e-Unani and the life and works of Hakim Abdur Razzack. He also said that it was Hakim Abdur Razzack’s enthusiasm that enabled him, as the Founder Director of CCRUM, to widen the scope of the Council and within a short span the CCRUM had grown in size to 30 institutes and centres all over India.
These included the flagship research centre, the Central Research Institute of Unani Medicine (CRIUM), Erragadda, Hyderabad, 7 Regional Research Institutes (RRIs), 11 research units, 5 Drug Standardisation Units, Herb Gardens and Museum, Family Welfare Research Unit and others. The foremost research programme of the Council was on Leucoderma (Bars) at CRIUM, Hyderabad with commendable results.
Clinical research work was undertaken for finding cheap and effective remedies for other diseases like arthiritis(waja- ul- mafasil), bronchial asthma (zeeq un nafs), sinusitis (nazlamuzmin), viral hepatitis (iltehab-e-kabbid), jaundice (irqan), etc.
The Chief Guest on the occasion was Professor Talat Ahmed, Vice Chancellor, Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI). Acknowledging the importance and relevance of Unani medicine, Talat said that the establishment of a Tibbia College in JMI is under consideration. His words were welcomed by all.
The function was presided over by Hakim Ummul Fazal, former Director, CCRUM. Referring to Dr A R Kidwai’s foreword in the book on Hakim Razzack titled – Mujahid-e-eTibb, she said that Hakim Razzack has been listed as one of the top personalities in the field of Unani Medicine in the 20th Century along with Hakim Ajmal Khan and Hakim Abdul Hameed.
The other speakers were Sohail Razzack, a Senior Management Consultant who said that Hakim Razzack looked at Unani medicine as an opportunity through which he could serve people. He urged the Unani fraternity to follow suit.
Contribution of Hakim Abdur Razzack in Unani
Hakim Abdur Razzack also held a senior position in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and was instrumental in taking Unani medicine to a wider global level. Due to his active involvement, a Unani Centre, Markaz-e-Tibb-e-Islami was established in Kuwait. Also, a centre of Alternative Medicine was established in Abu Dhabi (UAE) due to his efforts.
A significant and major contribution was the organisation of first ever International Seminar on Unani Medicine in 1987 in which delegates from 25 countries participated. This seminar, which was sponsored by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and inaugurated by the then President of India, GianiZail Singh, gave the Unani system in India a much needed boost and a high-ranking status. P. V. Narasimha Rao, who was the then Health Minster, presented the report of this Seminar at the World Health Assembly, Geneva in May 1987.
As a Consultant with the WHO, Hakim Razzack visited many countries to promote traditional medicine.He also travelled widely to present papers at seminars and conferences worldwide. Under his able administration, translation of rare Arabic and Persian books was also undertaken at the Literary Units of the CCRUM. Some of them are Kitab-al-Kulliyat by Ibn Rushd (Averroes), Kitab-al-Mansuri by ZakariaRazi (Rhazes), biography of Avicennna, Kitab-at-Taisir by Ibn Zohr (A venzoor), etc.
A Handbook of Common Remedies in Unani Medicine was compiled by him along with Hakim Ummul Fazal. This was translated into many different languages. Hakim Razzack has a number of books, reports and articles to his credit, the topics of which range from the history and philosophy of medicine, psychology and Islam, medicinal plants and their therapeutic value, integration of traditional and modern medicine and a host of other topics.