Despite being an atheist,[4] he attempted and advocated for several modernistic and liberal reforms within the Indian Muslim community, most notably being his futile agitation against the practice of triple talaq and polygyny during the 1960s.
[citation needed] Dalwai joined the Indian Socialist Party of Jai Prakash Narayan in his early adulthood, but left it to devote himself to social reforms in the Muslim community, especially regarding women's rights.
He wrote Indhan (Fuel) - a novel, Laat (Wave) - a collection of short stories and Muslim Politics in Secular India - a thought provoking book.
[9] An unprecedented event in his social work was the Muslim women’s march that he organised on the Mantralaya (the administrative headquarters of Maharashtra in South Mumbai, built in 1955) to fight for their rights.
His works include Lat (The Wave) and Indhan (Fuel) in Marathi, and Muslim Politics In Secular India in English, Islamche Bhartiya Chitra (Islam's Indian story) in Marathi, Rashtriya Ekatmata aani Bhartiya Musalman (National Unity and Indian Muslim) in Marathi.He also has written a short story namely "10 rupayachi goshta" which was later published in "Dhanurdhara" magazine.
[10] Muslim Satyashodhak Mandal continue to organize various social events in Maharashtra, to propagate the ideas of Hamid Dalwai and create awareness amongst masses about equality, women empowerment and Hindu-Muslim brotherhood.
In 2019, noted humanist Ms Zeenat Shaukat Ali and acclaimed Lavani writer- poet Lokshahir Bashir Momin Kavathekar were conferred with 'Satyshodak Award'.