Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, widely known as Allama Parwez, was a Muslim scholar of Islam and the Quran from pre-Independence India and later Pakistan. He was focused primarily on systematically interpreting Quranic themes and Iqbal’s writings in the light of Islamic Reform. Many conservative Islamic scholars criticized Parwez throughout his active years, although Parwez was well regarded among the educated demographic. Nadeem F. Paracha has called Parwez's Islam: A Challenge to Religion one of the most influential books in the history of Pakistan.
Parwez was born in Batala, Punjab, in British India on 9 July 1903. He migrated to Pakistan in 1947. He studied Quran and other Islamic literature. In 1934, he received a master's degree from the Punjab University. His views promoted understanding Islam in the context of modern science. Muhammad Iqbal introduced him to Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Later, Jinnah appointed him to edit the magazine ''Talu-e-Islamطلوع اسلام for the purpose of countering propaganda coming from some of the religious corners in support of Congress. He died at the age of 83.
Career
Parwez joined the Central Secretariat of the Government of India in 1927 and soon became an important figure in the Home Department. On the emergence of Pakistan he occupied the same seat in the Central Government and took pre-mature retirement as Assistant Secretary in 1955 in order to devote his entire time towards his mission. Parwez argued that his conclusions derived from the Quran were in stark contrast to both the right and left political philosophies. Before the creation of Pakistan, Parwez was recruited by Muhammad Ali Jinnah in order to help popularize the need for a separate homeland for the Muslims in South Asia. Parwez's thesis was that the organizational model of the state is the basic engine which drives the implementation of the Quran, and like Muhammad in Medina, those who wish to practice Islam, as it is defined in the Quran, are required to live in a state which submits to the laws of God, and not the laws of man.
Ideas and contributions
Before the creation of Pakistan, Iqbal introduced Parwez to Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who recruited Parwez to help popularize the need for a separate homeland for the Muslims in the South Asia. Jinnah asked Parwez to counter propaganda coming from some of the religious corners in support of Congress. Parwez argued that the Quran places such strong emphasis on individual freedom that it almost overrides all forms of authority. Consistent with this, Parwez "adamantly opposed" slavery, claiming that it had no justifiable basis according to the Quran. He also argued that Islam challenged the "truth", validity, and very conception of "religion". Parwez distinguished between "deen" versus "madhab", which he equated with the prevailing definition of "religion". Parwez translated those verses in the Quran which are generally associated with "miracles", "angels" and "jinns" rationally as metaphors, without appealing to the supernatural. Parwez also argued in favor of "Islamic Socialism", seeking to reorganize all aspects of society to fit in accordance with Islamic values. Parwez has been called a "quranist" by Nadeem F. Paracha, as Parwez rejected some hadith. Paracha also claimed that Parwez approved praying Namaz in Urdu. These claims were disputed by Parwez himself while he was alive as a rumor spread by his opponents.
