Hakim Abdul Hameed (14 September 1908 – 22 July 1999) was a distinguished Indian Unani physician, educationist and philanthropist. He was the founder-chancellor of Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University) and a former chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University. The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 1965 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992.

Born on 14 September 1908 in Delhi, he belonged to a family of Unani practitioners whose ancestors had migrated from Kashgar (in present-day Xinjiang, China) during the Mughal period. His father, Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, founded the Hamdard Dawakhana. After his father’s death, young Abdul Hameed took on increasing responsibility for the family enterprise and eventually became its chief trustee.

He trained in Unani medicine at Tibbia College, Delhi, and rose to become one of the leading hakims of his time. In 1948 he converted Hamdard into a waqf (charitable trust) dedicated to healthcare, education and social welfare. Under his leadership Hamdard Laboratories grew into a major producer of Unani medicines while its profits supported a wide network of educational and research institutions.

Hakim Abdul Hameed established or helped found numerous institutions, including Jamia Hamdard, the Hamdard National Foundation, Hamdard Education Society, Hamdard Public School, the Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, Majeedia Hospital (now associated with HAH Centenary Hospital), Ghalib Academy, and the Centre for South Asian Studies. He also played a key role in the development of the Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine and served as editor of journals that promoted research in traditional medicine and the history of science.

He authored and edited several works on Unani medicine, medical philosophy, the history of Arab medicine, and related subjects. His approach combined deep respect for classical Unani texts with a willingness to engage with modern scientific methods.

Colleagues and students remembered his quiet dignity and sense of purpose. “Medicine is not only about curing disease,” he would say. “It is about serving society and preserving knowledge for the next generation.”

Hakim Abdul Hameed received the Avicenna Award and other international recognitions. He passed away on 22 July 1999 at the age of 90. He is remembered as a builder of modern Hamdard, a guardian of the Unani system, and a major contributor to education and philanthropy in independent India.