Saba Afghani’s given family name was Jamilur Rehman. He was born at Rampur in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1920. He learnt Arabic and Persian. His father, Habibur Rahman, was a connoisseur of Urdu poetry and he welcomed poets at his home. This helped Saba Afghani to seek his moorings as a poet. He started reciting his verses in local cultural soirees and mushairas. He acquired a pleasant style of musical recitation very soon which made him a poet of larger appeal across the country.

Meena-i-Ghazal, Saaz-e-Shikasta, and Rang Roop are the collections of Saba Afghani’s poems. He also wrote lyrics for films and his ghazals were sung by famous singers. He died in Rampur in 1986.