By A. U. Asif
NEW DELHI: Within the circles of the Islamic Movement in the Indian subcontinent, the term tahreeki sahafat (mission-driven journalism) is neither unfamiliar nor obscure. It refers to a form of journalism that is value-based, purposeful and involves constructive criticism of social and political problems. In the Indian subcontinent, its early traces can be seen from the early 1920s in newspapers such as Madina (Bijnor), Muslim, and Al-Jamiah, and in the following decade in journals like Tarjuman al-Quran, Kausar, and Al-Furqan, through the writings of Sayyid Abul A‘la Maududi, Manzoor Nomani, Malik Nasrullah Khan Aziz, Masud Alam Nadwi and others.
Just before the Partition, this trend was further strengthened by publications such as Abu Salim Abdul Hai’s monthly Al-Hasanat, Muhammad Yusuf’s Al-Insaaf (Muhammad Yusuf later on rose to the position of President of the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind), and Sayyid Hamid Ali’s monthly Zindagi. Immediately after Partition, Al-Insaaf was nurtured by Anwar Ali Khan Soz (addressed as AAK Soz in tehreeki circles) and Asghar Ali Abidi, while Zindagi continued under its founder Sayyid Hamid Ali. Soon after, due to technical reasons, Al-Insaaf was renamed Dawat, and since then, it has been continuously published under a trust comprising a few members of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
In the growth and development of Dawat, the role of its editor, Asghar Ali Abidi, was the most significant and noteworthy. Whether Dawat appeared as a tri-weekly or a weekly, its permanent column “Khabar-o-Nazar” (News and Views) was initiated by him. After him, this column was consistently maintained by Muhammad Muslim, Mahfoozur Rahman, Salman Nadwi, and Abdul Haq Parwaz Rahmani. In the history of journalism in any language, the continuation of a specific column for more than 75 years is perhaps a unique experiment.
A 1992 photograph: Parwaz Rahmani (right) and A U Asif (left) with Islamic ideologue Maulana Sadruddin Islahi lying in bed in the old building of the New Delhi headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.
All five editors kept the column engaging in their own distinct styles. Among them, the column achieved its greatest popularity during the tenure of Muhammad Muslim. However, the mission-driven ideological tone was most dominant in the periods of the first editor, Asghar Ali Abidi, and the fifth editor, Parwaz Rahmani. Although, except for Mahfoozur Rahman, all the other editors were members of the Jamaat. Even though the column continued in the weekly edition after the closure of the tri-weekly Dawat under Parwaz Rahmani’s editorship on 7 July 2019, the mission-driven spirit gradually began to disappear—not only from this column but from the newspaper as a whole.
Thus, it can be said that with the news of the death of Parwaz Rahmani, who passed away on 5 January 2026 at the age of over 77, after being paralyzed and under treatment for a month in the ICU of Al-Shifa Hospital in Okhla, New Delhi, mission-driven journalism has once again become a topic of discussion. Whether it was his “Khabar-o-Nazar” column, his general writings, the entire tri-weekly newspaper during his tenure, or more than forty thematic special issues, all were imbued with this spirit. That is why the well-known critic, writer, and scholar Dr. Hasan Raza, expressing his impressions upon Rahmani’s death, spontaneously remarked: “Parwaz Sahib’s style was that of a mature mission-driven journalist. Now that he is no longer among us, the need of the hour is to undertake a critical review of his journalism. This would be the true expression of tribute to him.”
While Dr. Hasan Raza raised this important point at the right time, in my view the real issue is not merely the expression of tribute, but rather the acceptance and promotion of the very concept of mission-driven journalism—towards which Parwaz Rahmani himself made a powerful contribution.
Let us now briefly review who Parwaz Rahmani was and what his role was in this regard.
He was born on 8 June 1948 in the town of Akot, district Akola, in the state of Maharashtra, into the home of a pious and God-fearing man, Abdul Rahman. His given name was Abdul Haq, but he became known as Parwaz Rahmani. He was the fourth among five brothers; today only one brother, the 75-year-old Muhib-ul-Haq Rahmani, is alive. When news of Parwaz Rahmani’s serious illness reached Akot, his brother became extremely anxious and set out for Delhi with his young son Taqi Rahmani. Upon arrival at New Delhi Railway Station, he fell while walking on the platform, suffering a severe head injury and bleeding profusely. After first aid, his son brought him to the same Al-Shifa Hospital where his brother lay bedridden in a semi-comatose state. After further treatment, he stayed for a few days at his brother’s home, bid him a final farewell, and returned to his hometown—carrying the pain of a one-sided farewell in his heart. After his departure, Parwaz Rahmani’s wife Samarunnisan alias Samar Rahmani, daughters (Summayya and Rameesa), sons-in-law, and grandchildren continued visiting him in the hospital until he breathed his last at 9:30 pm on 5 January 2026, leaving behind not only his family and relatives but also his devoted readers. Among those left behind was this unfortunate journalist friend of his, who had last met him on 19 December 2025, along with former editor of Dawat, Shafeequrrahman, under Parwaz Rahmani’s chief editorship. This writer had then went on a 22-day visit to Bengaluru to meet his two daughters. And hence, I failed to participate in namaz-e-janaza (funeral prayer)and burial of my Parwaz Rahmani.
Parwaz Rahmani received his early education and upbringing in Akot. After completing matriculation, he earned a postgraduate diploma in Urdu Journalism in 1983 from Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (Uttar Pradesh). He was proficient in Urdu, Hindi, and English, and also familiar with Arabic, Persian, and Marathi. He developed an association with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind in 1965 at the age of 17. In 1968, he founded a youth organization called Anjuman Tameer-e-Kirdar, through which he engaged a significant number of young people in the region. Interestingly, his closeness to the Jamaat developed because of literature, speeches, and discussions produced by opponents of the Jamaat, which prompted him to study Jamaat literature himself, eventually making him a supporter. In 1985, he formally became a member of the Jamaat.
Parwaz Rahmani’s association with journalism spanned a total of 63 years. From the age of 14, he had developed a taste for writing articles and stories and even began composing poetry. From 1962 onward, his stories started appearing in Urdu Times (Mumbai) and in Ghuncha. On the instruction of the first Amir of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, Maulana Abul Lais Islahi Nadwi, he came to the Jamaat headquarters in Chitli Qabar, Delhi, in 1969 and, following his guidance, joined the tri-weekly Dawat. From 1969 to 1989, he served as Assistant Editor, and from 1989 to 2009 as Editor. Upon reaching retirement age, in recognition of his exceptional professional, intellectual, and mission-oriented capabilities, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief—an unprecedented step in the history of the paper. Like former editors Asghar Ali Abidi, Muhammad Muslim, and Salman Nadwi, he also maintained a formal affiliation with the Jamaat. Like the latter two, he served as a member of the Jamaat’s Central Consultative Council (Majlis-e-Shura) and was associated with numerous academic, educational, and social organizations. He also served as Chairman of Madhur Sandesh Sangam (a Hindi dawah publishing organization) and Al-Falah Society (Delhi). It is noteworthy that Al-Falah still preserves the historical experimental institution of the Islamic Movement, Darul Islam, Pathankot (Punjab). In addition, he was a trustee of the Islamic Sahitya Trust (Delhi) and a member of the Press Club of India.
During his 57-year association with Dawat, he wrote thousands of columns and produced more than forty special issues. Among these, the special issues marking 50 years of Jamaat-e-Islami (1991) and 60 years of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (2009) are historic documents. In both, he also sought the full cooperation of this writer, who was then associated with English newspapers. These issues contain extremely valuable material on the history of the Islamic Movement in India. To understand the mission-oriented dimension of Parwaz Rahmani’s journalism, reference can be made to his “Khabar-o-Nazar” column pieces such as “A Buddhist Intellectual Speaks” and his reflective article written after the death of RSS former chief K. S. Sudarshan. Both writings gained wide popularity at the time, and the Buddhist intellectual Lama Doboom Tulku himself appreciated that column.
Such was the popularity and standard of Parwaz Rahmani’s journalism that even Atal Bihari Vajpayee acknowledged it. During his tenure as Prime Minister, when he expressed to his secretary a desire to give an interview to a prominent Urdu newspaper on Muslim issues, and a list of several newspapers was presented to him, he spontaneously took the name of Parwaz Rahmani, Editor-in-Chief of the tri-weekly Dawat, asking why this newspaper and its editor were not included in the list. Subsequently, when Sudheendra Kulkarni conveyed Vajpayee’s request to Parwaz Rahmani, Rahmani initially felt hesitant, but in deference to the Prime Minister’s wish, he conducted a lengthy interview. After its publication, Vajpayee expressed great satisfaction with it. This incident itself testifies to the quality of Parwaz Rahmani’s journalism.
Parwaz Rahmani is no longer among us, but his high-standard, movement-oriented journalism remains a model, and he will always be remembered for it.
*The author is a veteran journalist based in Delhi. He can be contacted at 9891225971.
