Our Founder
Dr. Husain Fakhruddin Nagamia
A Life Devoted to Two Kinds of Healing
Founder of IIIM & NIIMS
“Everything NIIMS does today, the library, the museum, the webinars, the field trips filled with students seeing this history for the first time, traces back to one surgeon who believed a story worth a thousand years deserved to be told.”
The Living Legacy of Dr. Husain Nagamia
Chapter I • The Double Calling
A LIFE DEVOTED TO MEDICINE, HISTORY, AND SERVICE
Dr. Husain Fakhruddin Nagamia was a physician, cardiothoracic surgeon, researcher, and lifelong student of the history of Islamic medicine. Born on June 29, 1939, in Baroda, India, to Fakhruddin and Kamaljehan Nagamia, he trained as a physician in India before building a distinguished career in cardiothoracic surgery. He practiced for much of his career in Tampa, Florida, where he served his patients and community with dedication.
Alongside his medical career, Dr. Nagamia developed a deep interest in the history of Islamic medicine. He believed this heritage deserved greater recognition and that understanding the contributions of earlier Muslim physicians and scholars could enrich the education and perspective of future generations.
Physical & Historical Healing
Physical & Historical Healing
Over 40 years repairing hearts and vascular channels in Tampa, Florida.
Historical Scholarship
Restoring foundational Islamic medical contributions to modern curricula.
Chapter II • The Genesis
Building an Institute From a Single Room
In 1990, Dr. Nagamia presented his vision for an institute dedicated to the history of Islamic medicine at IMANA’s International Convention in Nerja, Spain. Two years later, in 1992, the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) formally established the International Institute of Islamic Medicine (IIIM), and named him its founding Chairman — a position he would hold, unpaid, for the rest of his life.
For over two decades, IIIM operated out of a small office Dr. Nagamia donated in his own medical practice. From there, he built a reference library of nearly a thousand books, organized national and international conferences on the history of Islamic medicine, and designed a traveling exhibit — nearly 200 rare posters, images, and artifacts — that toured cities from Tampa to Dubai to London. He co-founded the International Society for the History of Islamic Medicine (ISHIM) to connect scholars working on the same questions around the world, and rarely missed one of its annual meetings until the COVID-19 pandemic finally kept him home.
1990 • Nerja, Spain
Foundational Vision
Seminal proposal for an international institute presented at IMANA Spain.
1992 • IIIM Established
Founding Chairman
IMANA established IIIM, with Dr. Nagamia accepting lifetime unpaid leadership.
1,000+ Books & ISHIM
Global Exhibits
Curated 200 artifacts touring Tampa, Dubai, London; co-founded ISHIM.
IMANA • ISNA • JIMA
Prolific Scholarship
Editor-in-Chief of JIMA, Past President of IMANA, architect of Neo-Islamic Medicine.
Chapter III • The Monument
Building an Institute From a Single Room
In 2019, nearly thirty years after presenting his original vision, Dr. Nagamia's work grew into the Nagamia Institute of Islamic Medicine and Science (NIIMS).
What began as a small office became an institution with a physical space where students, families, researchers, and visitors could engage directly with the history of Islamic medicine and science. Dr. Nagamia also placed great importance on encouraging young people to learn about this heritage. Through essay competitions, research projects, and educational opportunities, he encouraged medical students and residents to engage with a history he believed was important to understand and preserve.
Chapter IV • The Monument
Family and Legacy
Dr. Nagamia was married to Dr. Zubeda Nagamia for 55 years; the two traveled the world together in service of this work. He was the father of Dr. Afshan Ahmed and Dr. Sameer Nagamia, and a devoted grandfather who rarely missed a milestone in his grandchildren's lives.
He passed away on June 4, 2021, in Tampa, at the age of 81. In his memory, NIIMS published The Contributions of Islamic Civilization to Medicine: The Past and The Present, a book compiling the research he spent decades gathering — available today through NIIMS for anyone who wants to continue where he left off.
Everything NIIMS does today, the library, the museum, the webinars, the field trips filled with students seeing this history for the first time — traces back to one surgeon who believed a story worth a thousand years deserved to be told.
