KHAWAJA Saad Rafique has articulated a statement which, if truly understood by some, has the potential to transform the entire ideological landscape of this country.
To comprehend what Khawaja Sahib actually said, it seems essential to first recall a few words about Maulana Maududi — and, in that context, about my revered senior, Altaf Hassan Qureshi. The world knows Altaf Hassan Qureshi as a journalist. Indeed, he is one, but his real identity lies in Urdu Digest, the magazine he launched in the 1960s along with his elder brother, the late Ejaz Hassan Qureshi. Speaking of Urdu Digest reminds one of Ghalib’s verse: Main chaman mein kya gaya, goya dabistaan khul gaya, Bulbulen sun kar mere naale ghazal khwaan ho gayeen.
This magazine was not merely a digest — it was a tale of passion. Its significance extended beyond journalism and the Urdu language; it became intertwined with the very ideological fabric of Pakistan. The Cold War showered many “blessings” upon our country — among them, the clash of capitalist and socialist worldviews. In those days, Pakistan was caught in such an intense ideological storm that the voice of its own purpose and ideals was drowned out completely — the proverbial tuti ki awaaz in a naqqar khana.
In that chaotic era, it was Urdu Digest under Ejaz Hassan Qureshi and the fearless pen of Altaf Hassan Qureshi that rose to speak truth amid an irrelevant ideological battle. Thus, national journalism took a new turn — a third intellectual force emerged between the Right and the Left. As my teacher, Professor Dr. Tahir Masood, once remarked: “Had Altaf Hassan Qureshi not stood firm in those turbulent times, there would have been no space left in this country for those who spoke of Islam and Pakistan.”
This background helps us understand Qureshi Sahib’s ideological leanings — the intellectual and personal bonds that linked him to a particular school of thought and its towering figures. The era of Urdu Digest was, in fact, the era of Maulana Maududi. The eminent jurist Khalid M. Ishaq once told me in an interview: “In our time, Maulana Maududi was a great beacon of knowledge and we were but moths fluttering around his light.” The same could be said for Altaf Hassan Qureshi. He once wrote that when Maulana Maududi was sentenced to death, he was so stricken with grief that he wandered into a desolate field and wept for hours — until a poem came to him, which he later included as a prelude to his historic interview with Maulana.
In addition to that famous interview, Qureshi Sahib also conducted another conversation with Maulana and later wrote an important essay upon his passing titled “Pyaare Maulana” (Dear Maulana). This piece, along with essays by Mujibur Rahman Shami and Abad Shahpuri under the same title, has been published in book form by Alama Abdul Sattar Asim’s Qalam Foundation with their customary elegance. What was Maulana Maududi’s thought and mission — and what was he not? The answers to these questions are found within this brief yet essential book. Without reading it, one cannot truly understand Maulana Maududi.
The book’s launch ceremony was held at 5A Zeildar Park — now known as Syed Maududi Memorial. The event was presided over by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Ameer, Hafiz Naeem ur Rehman and addressed by Mujibur Rahman Shami, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ameer ul Azeem, Abdul Sattar and Syed Waqas Anjum Jafri, the Secretary General of the Memorial. The speech delivered by Khawaja Saad Rafique on this occasion soon went viral. He paid glowing tribute to Maulana Maududi and remarked that those associated with the Islamic Movement are not only those within Jamaat-e-Islami’s organizational framework — but also those who have studied Maulana’s writings and, in one way or another, become part of his caravan. He recalled that he himself had once been a RAFIQUE of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba and that he still considers himself part of the Islamic Movement and sees it as his duty to carry forward its mission. “It is merely a difference of approach and strategy,” he added. “Therefore, we too should be seen as part of the same movement.”
Khawaja Saad Rafique is a quintessential political worker — seasoned by time, hardened by trials. In his own words, he has become “an iron nut that can neither be chewed nor swallowed.” Interestingly, this metaphor was originally used by Maulana Maududi himself, which shows that Saad Rafique’s words about his connection with the Islamic Movement were not casual remarks — they were deliberate and reflected his inner convictions. Through this statement — saying without quite saying — he implied that the Islamic Movement should not be confined within narrow organizational walls. It deserves to be viewed with broader vision. The same holds true for Pakistan itself.
Jamaat-e-Islami, which has lately faced political isolation and a decline in popular strength, stands at a critical juncture. It can emerge from this test with renewed relevance if it pays heed to Khawaja Saad Rafique’s suggestion and rethinks its political strategy. The blessings of the elders often bring grace to the times. This blessed counsel — emerging on the occasion of Pyaare Maulana’s publication — carries within it the potential to reshape Pakistan’s ideological map. For this, Altaf Hassan Qureshi richly deserves our congratulations.
—This writer is former advisor to the President of Pakistan, author & mass media theorist.
(farooq.adilbhuta@gmail,com)
