Ali Imran Shah HASHMI M.D.

HASHMI, Ali Imran Shah, MD, FCCP

Ali Imran Shah Hashmi, MD, FCCP, known to his family as Irshad (the guide), born January 12, 1943, passed away peacefully Monday morning at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, CT. Born in India, Dr. Hashmi studied medicine at King Edward College in Lahore, Pakistan. With nothing but a suitcase and a yearning for knowledge, he arrived in the United States and began his internship at Danbury Hospital. After completing his residency and fellowship at St. Francis, he spent four years as the Chief of Pulmonary Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Hartford. Later, Dr. Hashmi established his own private medical practice which would span four decades, caring for thousands of people who would travel from as far as Maine and Florida for office visits in Hartford. As a doctor and mentor, Dr. Hashmi was described by all who knew him as a remarkably caring healer and a compassionate teacher to his patients, colleagues and students. No medical case was too hopeless for him to take on: patients often came to him as a last resort. In their own words, "[Dr. Hashmi] understood that people are more than just flesh and blood: there's a soul, there's a spirit...he was better than perfect; it was a real calling for him." Nurses, PAs and medical and surgical colleagues would rely on Dr. Hashmi's in depth and intuitive grasp of all things related to medicine, whether it was consulting on a particularly difficult case or just lending an ear to help read a complicated scan or X-ray. He encouraged all under his tutelage to complete their studies as fully as possible; many went on to more advanced medical degrees as a result of time spent with him on the wards. Dr. Hashmi's patience, kindness and forbearance extended into all realms of his life. Founding the Islamic Center of Connecticut in 1980, Dr. Hashmi watched the small crowd of Friday prayer faithful grow into and then out of a two-family home on Hungerford Street in Hartford, now called Masjid Muhammad. In 1993, he found a perfect location for a stand-alone mosque to accommodate the growing community, which has blossomed into the Madina Masjid in Windsor. A loving husband, father and brother, Dr. Hashmi is survived by Mary (Ford) Hashmi, his wife of 40 years, his children, Ali, Sara, Christopher and Kecia (Felton) Harper and Jonathan Harper, eight brothers and sisters, numerous nieces, nephews, and a very large extended family.
As is common in the Islamic tradition, the funeral services were held as soon as possible after his passing on Monday; his burial was completed by sunset. In a beautiful and loving tribute to Dr. Hashmi's life, nearly 1,500 people arrived at the Madina Masjid Monday afternoon from all across the state, throughout New England, New York and New Jersey, and as far away as Washington D.C., Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, and California, with all except his immediate family coming on only a few hours notice. His family would like to extend heartfelt thanks and sincere gratitude to the entire medical, surgical and nursing staff at St. Francis for the excellent care and compassion they provided to Dr. Hashmi and his family in recent years and especially during his terminal illness. Dr. Hashmi made many lifelong friends at the St. Francis and Mount Sinai medical centers during his 40 year career. He will be missed by many of all religions, professions and walks of life. A Qur'an reading will be held at the Islamic Association of Greater Hartford, 1781 Wilbur Cross Highway, today from 5:30-7:30 p.m., with dinner following. His family would also like to extend an invitation to those who wish to celebrate and honor his life and legacy of faith and healing this Sunday afternoon. The Memorial Reception will be held at the West Hartford Meeting & Conference Center, 50 South Main Street, starting at 3:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in honor of Dr. Hashmi can be made to the St. Francis Foundation: stfranciscare.org/foundation. Please direct any contributions to the Pulmonary Rehabilitation Department.