Syed Amin Ashraf
| Syed Amin Ashraf | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 July 1930 |
| Era | contemporary |
| Region | India |
| Religion | Islam |
| Notable work(s) | Urdu Ghazal, 'Urdu Literary Criticism' |
Syed Amin Ashraf was a preeminent Urdu Ghazal poet and critic. He earned his PhD in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University and later served the same Department. He produced three poetic collections and a critical compendium of essays in the form of a book. Several academic awards were conferred on his poetic anthologies, and numerous critical articles and books praised his poetic artistry. He died on 7 February 2013 (25th Rabiul Awwal 1434H) in Aligarh of a cardiac arrest, and was buried beside his father's grave near the shrine of Hazrat Ashraf Jahangir Semnani at Kichaucha Sharif.
Syed Amin Ashraf traces his lineage to a family of 'Syeds' of Kichauchha Sharif, a small town in the district of Ambedkar Nagar, East Uttar Pradesh, North India. He was born on 10 July 1930 in Kichaucha Sharif, the eldest child and son of his parents. His father was Hazrat Syed Habeeb Ashraf. He worked as a librarian in the village's library. He passed most of his time in learning and meditation. He could not complete his formal education at Firangi Mahal, a madrasa in Lucknow, where he was enrolled, due to the early demise of his father – whereupon the responsibility of earning livelihood for his family fell upon him and he had to return home to take care of his mother and younger siblings. But he mastered many subjects on his own, as he had the opportunity of referring books during his service as a librarian. He could compose poetry as well as solve problems of inheritance.
Syed Habeeb Ashraf was an expert on Ilmul Jafar and Ilmul Ramal (Islamic geomancy). He posted a letter to his eldest son Syed Amin Ashraf stationed at Aligarh, six months before his demise, in which he asked his son to be at home on a particular date (3 February 1972) for his burial. But Habeeb Ashraf felt aggrieved as Thursday and Friday are considered more auspicious days in Islam and the day of his demise emerged as Wednesday from his calculations. Syed Habeeb Ashraf was a devotee of his ancestor Hazrat Makhdoom Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani. He died on Thursday. His amulets were believed to be effective. He made only one or two disciples in his life. When few persons of his clan tried to usurp the right of the share holders in the offerings of the shrine, Habeeb Ashraf fought legally on behalf of them and won. This lawsuit is known by the name of Khanqah.
Syed Habeeb Ashraf was married to Syeda Saeeda, the daughter of a Unani doctor of the same village. Before her marriage she used to assist her father in the preparation of drugs in his dispensary and thereby acquired great expertise in Unani medicine, particularly of diseases of women and children; she dispensed prescriptions without charge. She also used to teach the reading of the Quran to children soon after the Fajr prayers at her home.
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