Meet Hakim Abdul Majid, Man Behind Rooh Afza; Know About the 115 Years History

Rooh Afza, which means “soul refresher” in Urdu, is a 115-year-old drink that has survived decades of regional violence and turmoil across the heated borders of the subcontinent.

The sugary summer cooler is the preferred drink for millions of people in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

But not many people know that the thick, rose-colored syrup – called a sharbat and poured from a distinctive long-neck bottle – was originally created by a young herbalist, Hakim Abdul Majid.

Born in 1883, Hakim Abdul Majid studied the Unani system of medicine and went on to become a traditional healing practitioner.

In 1906, Mr Majid decided to set up a herbal shop in Old Delhi, still under British rule. It was here that he devised a potion that could help ease many of the complications that come with the region’s unbearable heat — dehydration, heat strokes, diarrhea.

But by mixing sugar and extracts from herbs and flowers, Hakim Abdul Majid essentially discovered a refreshing drink. He named it Rooh Afza and the drink became an instant hit. Bottles of the natural, fruits-and-herbs cooler would fly off the shelves of his small medicine store, which he named Hamdard.

Mr Majid died at the age of 34 in 1922. However, his wife Rabea Begum took on the role of a matriarch. She declared Hamdard a trust and decided that the profits would largely go towards public welfare. This decision would later help her young sons in turning the Hamdard into a sustainable business.

When India’s partition took place in 1947, Ms. Begum’s older son, Hakim Abdul Hamid, stayed back and oversaw Hamdard India. Her younger son, Hakim Mohamad Said, moved to the newly formed Pakistan and started producing Rooh Afza under the name of Hamdard Pakistan.

After the 1971 war, the facilities producing Rooh Afza in the newly formed Bangladesh formed their own trust.

Interestingly, all three businesses are independent and are run by extended members, or friends, of Hakim Abdul Majid.

Today, Rooh Afza sells well during summer as it lowers body temperature and boosts energy.

There is a particularly high demand for the drink in the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Hamdard India on its part is trying to diversify in the country by introducing products like Rooh Afza yogurt drink and a Rooh Afza milkshake.