Dr. Mushtaque Ahmad known as Mushtaque Sadaf (born 11 November 1969 in Baghan Nizamat, Thawe, Gopal Ganj, Bihar) is an Indian Urdu poet, literary critic, Journalist and scholar who writes in Urdu. His Urdu literary criticism has incorporated a range of Modern literary frameworks including stylistics and Eastern poetics.

Dr. Sadaf received a master's degree in Urdu from Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi, as well as in political science from Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh, U.P. He has also completed his M.Phil and Ph.D. degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi. He has also done an ‘Advanced Diploma in Mass Media’ in Urdu from the same University. He received his early education at Maulana Mazharul Haque Memorial Urdu High School, Gopalganj, Bihar and later studied at Aligarh Muslim University and Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Dr. Sadaf taught Urdu literature at Choudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut, U.P. (2004-2007) as a teaching assistant. Before joining the said University, he worked as Sub Editor in Urdu daily ‘Rashtriya Sahara’ and ‘Awaam’/ ‘Nai Duniya’ New Delhi. Sadaf’s first book ‘Jazbi Shanasi’ was published in 2002, a work on eminent progressive Urdu poet Moin Ahsan Jazbi. He has 10 books in Urdu in his credit including his poetry collection ‘Badal Gayi Koi Shai’. His book on Journalism ‘Urdu Sahafat: Zaban, Takneek, Tanazur’ is included as a reference book at Department of Urdu, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. This is the first book of practical journalism in Urdu. His other important books are ‘Moin Ahsan Jazbi’ (monograph), ‘Dekhna Taqreer ki Lazzat’ (collection of interviews of Gopi Chand Narang), ‘Adabi Theory : Sheriyat aur Gopi Chand Narang’. He also co-edited the literary magazines quarterly ‘Rang’ and ‘Kawish’. Presently he is a programme officer at Sahitya Akademi (National Academy of Letters), New Delhi.

Dr. Sadaf has been recognized for his works. He has received awards from Delhi Urdu Academy in 2010, West Bengal Urdu Academy in 2002 and U.P. Urdu Academy in 2010 for his books. He has also honoured by Parwaz Media Vision, New Delhi in 2004 and Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu, Gopalganj in 2007 for his fare Journalism and literary contributions.

Sadaf's works touch upon a number of Genres, Ghazal to short story and novel to post modern theory. He re-examines and re-evaluates the Urdu poetry, including Mir, Ghalib, Iqbal, Faiz, Firaq, Yagana, Mazhar Imam, Shaharyar, Nida Fazli etc.

Apart from, basically Dr. Sadaf is a genuine Urdu poet and a man of social values. He believes in nature and plurality. He is a poet of various moods and to him the creative sentiment and inner urge are the sources of poetry. He thinks that the feeling of a poet is similar to an ordinary man.