Urdu (;["Urdu"](_blank)
''Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
. The title of his doctoral dissertation was ''A Critical Edition of Lataife Ashrafi''. After serving at a number of Indian universities
The higher education system in India includes both private and public universities. Public universities are supported by the Government of India and the state governments, while private universities are mostly supported by various bodies and ...
(Punjabi University at Patiala, M.S. University of Baroda and the University of Madras
The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public university, public State university (India), state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigiou ...
), Ashraf retired as head of the department of Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
, Persian and Urdu at the University of Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
in 1993. Fluent in seven languages (Pahlavi, Persian, Arabic, Urdu, English, Hindi and Gujarati), he writes in Urdu, Persian and English, has written, edited or compiled over 35 books. Ashraf has focused on upholding and propagating the principles and practices of Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...
.
Biography
Parents
Ashraf traces his lineage to a family of Syeds in Kichhauchha Sharif, a small town in the district of Ambedkar Nagar, eastern Uttar Pradesh. He was born on 4 February 1933, the third child of librarian Syed Habeeb Ashraf and Syeda Saeeda. Habeeb worked in the village library; although he was enrolled at Firangi Mahal, a madrasa in Lucknow, he did not complete his education due to the death of his father. He was well-versed in Ilmul Jafar and Ilmul Ramal (Islamic geomancy
Geomancy ( Greek: γεωμαντεία, "earth divination") is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand. The most prevalent form of divinatory geomancy in ...
). Habeeb wrote to his eldest son, Syed Amin Ashraf
Syed Amin Ashraf (10 July 1930 7 February 2013) was an Urdu Ghazal poet and critic. He earned his PhD in English Literature from Aligarh Muslim University on the topic ''Major Themes and Imagery in Sarogini Naidu's Poetry'', and later served ...
(who was stationed in Aligarh), six months before his death asking him to be home on 3 February 1972 for his burial.
Syeda Saeeda was the daughter of a Unani
Unani or Yunani medicine (Urdu: ''tibb yūnānī'') is Perso-Arabic traditional medicine as practiced in Muslim culture in South Asia and modern day Central Asia. Unani medicine is pseudoscientific. The Indian Medical Association describes U ...
doctor in the village. Before her marriage, she assisted her father in the preparation of drugs in his dispensary and acquired a knowledge of Unani medicine (particularly diseases of women and children).
Siblings
Habeeb and Syeda had four sons and three daughters. The two elder sons were Syed Amin Ashraf and Syed Hameed Ashraf. The youngest son (and their fifth child) was Syed Ashraf. Their daughters were Syeda Mahmooda, Syeda Masooda and Syeda Raheen. Syed Amin Ashraf received his PhD in English literature from Aligarh Muslim University, and later taught in the same department. Amin Ashraf is regarded as an accomplished poet in Urdu ghazal
The ''ghazal'' ( ar, غَزَل, bn, গজল, Hindi-Urdu: /, fa, غزل, az, qəzəl, tr, gazel, tm, gazal, uz, gʻazal, gu, ગઝલ) is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry. A ghazal may be understood as a ...
s. He has compiled three poetic collections – ''Jadae Shab'', ''Bahare Ijaad'' and ''Qafase Rang'' – and a collection of his papers in a book, ''Bargo Bar''. He has received awards from Ghalib Academy, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy
''Uttar Pradesh Urdu Akademi'' also known as Uttar Pradesh Urdu Academy or Urdu Academy, Uttar Pradesh (Urdu: اردو اکادمی، اتر پردیش) in the interest of developing the Urdu language and preserving the Urdu tradition and cul ...
in Lucknow. Several critical essays about his poetry have been published. Their second son, Syed Hameed Ashraf (who died in 1993), studied Shariah
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the H ...
at Al Jamiatul Ashrafia Mubarakpur and Darul Uloom Deoband
The Darul Uloom Deoband is an Islamic seminary (darul uloom) in India at which the Sunni Deobandi Islamic movement began. It is located in Deoband, a town in Saharanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. The seminary was established by Muhammad Qasim ...
, received B.A., M.A. and M.Phil degrees in Arabic literature from Aligarh Muslim University
Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...
and taught at a number of Indian madrasa
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , pl. , ) is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated '' ...
s. The title of his M.Phil disseration was, 'Allama Syed Mohammad Murtaza Zubaidi Bilgirami: hayat aur ilmi karname'. Syed Waheed Ashraf learned Islamic theology from his brother, Syed Hameed Ashraf.
Education
Ashraf received his primary education from the village madrasa and graduated from middle school in Baskhari
Baskhari is a town (Village Panchayat Block) located in Ambedkar Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Demographics
India census, Baskhari had a population of 18,485. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Bas ...
, a small town near his home, in 1948. He received his high-school certificate from Mohd. Hasan Inter College in Jaunpur District. After high school, Ashraf suspended his studies for seven years due to poor health. He then earned his undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral degrees (1965) from Aligarh Muslim University.
Professional career
After receiving his PhD, Ashraf was a temporary lecturer at Punjabi University in Patiala for a year before returning to Aligarh University as a UGC senior research fellow. In 1971, he received a permanent faculty position as a lecturer at M.S. University of Baroda in Gujarat. In 1977, Ashraf joined the University of Madras as a reader
A reader is a person who reads. It may also refer to:
Computing and technology
* Adobe Reader (now Adobe Acrobat), a PDF reader
* Bible Reader for Palm, a discontinued PDA application
* A card reader, for extracting data from various forms of ...
in Persian. He became a professor in 1982, and retired as head of the department of Arabic, Persian and Urdu at the University of Madras in 1993.
Spiritual odyssey
Ashraf was devoted to Sufi literature. After completing his education at Aligarh Muslim University, he gave spiritual allegiance (''baith'') to Syed Qadeer Ahmad Ashrafiul Jilani in Kichaucha Sharif. He was initiated into the Ashrafiya order, and Jilani made him his successor (''khalifa''). Ashraf delivered lectures on Masnavi Maulan Rum at his home in Baroda.
Works
Books
Sufism and Islamic studies
=Urdu
=
*''Hayate Makhdoom Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani
Sultan Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani ( ur, ; (1285–1386) was an Iranian Sufi saint from Semnan, Iran. He was the founder of the Ashrafi Sufi order. He is India's third most influential Sufi Saint after Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer ...
''(1975) Second Ed.(2017) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Tasawwuf'' (''Part I'' ) (1988),Reprint (2016)[https://mumbaiurdunews.com/view/308/mumbai-urdu-news/5] , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Tasawwuf'' (''Part II'' ) (2020),
=Persian
=
*''Jawahirus-Sulūk'' (translated and illustrated)
*''Latāif-e-Ashrafi and Maktubāt-e-Ashrafi As Sources of History of Medieval India'' (sponsored by the Indian Council of Historical Research
The Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is a captive body of the Ministry of Education, Government of India established by an Administrative Order. The body has provided financial assistance to historians and scholars through fellowshi ...
)
*''Muqaddema-e-Latāif-e-Ashrafi''. Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, 197
مقدمۀ لطايف اشرفي
*''Latāif-e-Ashrafi'', part I (edited and annotated, 2010)
*''Latāif-e-Ashrafi'', part II (edited and annotated, 2010)
*''Latāif-e-Ashrafi'', part III (edited and annotated, 2010)
=English
=
*''The Exoteric and Esoteric Aspects of Islamic Prayers'' (2005)
Poetry
=Urdu
=
*''Rubai''(1987)
*''Tajalliyāt'' First Ed.(1996), Second Ed.(2018) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Munājāt'' First Ed.(2002), Second Ed.(2022) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Āyāt'' First Ed.(1996), Second Ed.(2020) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Saughāt'' (2005)
*''ChaiNama'' (2016)
*''Barakaat'' First Ed.(2021), , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
=Persian
=
*''Parwaaze Tafakkur'' (2015)
*''Ruba'i: Part I'' (2010)
*''Ruba'i: Part II''
*''Daryā Bi Qatrah'' (2009)
Criticism
=Urdu
=
*''Fida'' (Pupil of Ghalib
The pupil is a black hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to strike the retina.Cassin, B. and Solomon, S. (1990) ''Dictionary of Eye Terminology''. Gainesville, Florida: Triad Publishing Company. It appears black ...
; Co-Author Malik Ram
Malik Ram was the pen name of Malik Ram Baveja (1906–1993), a renowned Urdu, Persian and Arabic scholar from India. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1983 for his monumental work ''Tazkirah-e-Muasireen''.
An internationally acclaime ...
, First Edition 1983))Second Edition (2015)
*''Afsar Maudoodi''
*''Mutalae Afsar Maudoodi'' (2012)
*''Muqaddema-e-Rubai''First Ed.(2001), Reprint (2019) , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
*''Urdu Zaban Mein Na'at Gū'ī Ka Fan''
*''Rūh-e-Mahmood''
*''Tauzeehāt''
=Persian
=
*''Tafheemāt''
*''Qasāid-e-Zauqi Vellori'' (translated, illustrated and edited)
Letters
*''Irtibāt-o-Inekaas'' (Urdu and English)
Articles
English
*"The Political and Economic Thoughts of Hadrat Saiyed Ashraf Jahangir", ''Indo-Iranica, The Quarterly Organ of the Iran Society'', Volume 56, March, June, September and December 2003, Numbers 1 to 4. Iran Society, 12 Dr. M. Ishaque Road, Kolkata 700,016.
*"Avicenna's Explanation of Destiny",''Indo-Iranica, The Quarterly Organ of the Iran Society'',Volume-34: Nos: 1 to 4: March- Dec: 1981: IBN SINA NUMBER Iran Society, 12 Dr. M. Ishaque Road, Kolkata 700,016.
*"Nationalism in Urdu Poetry" ''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, Volume 31 (1982), p. 391.
*"An Introduction to the Persian Poetry of Iqbal" in ''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, Volume 30i (1980), p. 1-14.
*"Modern Persian Prose" ''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, Volume xxviii, part 2 p. 1-8 (1979)
*"Sufism" ,''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, Volume 32(I) (1984), p. 55-72.
*"The contribution of the House of Qutb-e-Vellore to Persian Literature" ,''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, pages 1–22, volume xxx part2 (1981)
*"A Scholastic Approach To Some Muslim Religious Movements In India During 14th Century A.H., ''Annals of Oriental Research'', University of Madras, Pages 1–30, Volume xxxi part 1, (1982)
Urdu
*''Urdu Mein Naat Goi Ka Fan''-Naat Rang- Vol. 14 (اردو میں نعت گوئی کا فن ،- ڈاکٹر سیّد وحید اشرف کچھوچھوی)
*''Nafhatul- Uns par Tahqeeki Nazar(1)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Jan. 196
*''Nafhatul -Uns par Tahqeeki Nazar(2)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Feb. 196
*''Tareekhe Paidaisho Wafaat Hazrat Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Mar. 196
*''Tasawwufe Islami Par Ek Hindustani Kitaab(1)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Aug. 196
*''Tasawwufe Islami Par EK Hindustani Kitaab (2)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Sept. 196
*''Tasawwuf o Sulluk Shah Hamdani Ki Tahreeron Mein (1)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Jan. 198
*''Tasawwuf o Sulluk Shah Hamdani Ki Tahreeron Mein (2)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Feb. 198
*''Khwaja Hafiz Sheerazi Ki Shairi Mein Sulook(1)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Nov. 199
*''Khwaja Hafiz Sheerazi Ki Shairi Mein Sulook(2)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh, Dec. 199
*''Iqbal Ki Faarsi Shairi par Ek Ijmaali Nazar(1)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Jan.199
*''Iqbal Ki Faarsi Shairi par Ek Ijmaali Nazar(2)'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh, Mar.199
*''Amir Khusro Bahaisiate Faarsi Rubai Nigaar,'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh, Feb. 200
*''Abdul Qadir Fakhri Maharban'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,Oct.200
*''Hazrat Zauqi Ki Farsi Shairi'',Maarif,Darul Musannafein,Azamgarh,May200
* Ahmad Raza Ki Farsi Aur Urdu Shairi, Al-Meezan Monthly, Bombay, Imam Ahmad Raza Number, 1976
* Masnavi Asrare Khudi Ki Fikri Buniyaad, Ziyae Wajeeh Monthly, Rampur
Persian
*"Rubaiyaat (Amir Khusro)"
*"Mutalae Hafiz Shirazi Az Hais Zabaano Subk Bayaan", Danish 56-57, 3645(مطالعه خواجه حافظ شیرازی از حیث زبان و سبک) -دانش،57 و 56.*3645 [http://www.noormags.ir/view/fa/search?origin=pager&q=سید+وحید+اشرف&pn=5&ps=10&and=&or=&exact=¬e=&fields=*]
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashraf, Syed Waheed
Scholars of Sufism
Sufi writers
1933 births
Living people
Barelvis
Indian Sufi saints
Sufi mystics
Sufi poets
Sufi teachers
Urdu-language writers
Chishtis
Hashemite people
Monism
People from Aligarh
People from Ambedkar Nagar district
Persian-language poets
Sufi philosophy
University of Madras faculty
Urdu-language poets from India
20th-century Indian Muslims
21st-century Indian Muslims
20th-century Indian poets
21st-century Indian poets
20th-century Muslim scholars of Islam
21st-century Muslim scholars of Islam
Scholars from Gujarat
Indian people of Arab descent