The Ashrafs are the descendants of the Sufi saint Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani who had settled at Kichhauchha Sharif in the Ambedkar Nagar District, Uttar Pradesh, India, after relinquishing his throne in Semnan. His shrine is situated at Dargah, Rasoolpur, between Kichaucha Sharif and Baskhari Sharif and is visited by thousands of devotees irrespective of caste, creed and sex. The Ashraf family members' chief meeting place are Baskhari Sharif & Kichaucha Sharif, where their main family members reside. It is one of the most revered and authentic families of Hashemite Syeds residing in India.
Poetry has been one of the intellectual hobbies in the Ashrafi family since the very beginning. However the first publication of a poetic composition was in the first quarter of 20th century by Syed Ali Husain Ashrafi in a book entitled, Tahaife Ashrafi. A critical evaluation of his poetry has also been done by Syed Amin Ashraf and the same is included in Amin Ashraf's book of critical essays entitled BargoBar. Syed Nazar Ashraf who was a Unani physician also penned poetry. His son Syed Muhammad Muhaddis also composed poetry which has been published in his poetic collection entitled, Farsh Par Arsh mainly containing 'Naats'. In the third generation of Syed Nazar Ashraf's offspring his grandson Syed Muhammad Madni too has brought out his own collection of Naat's and Ghazals entitledTajalliyate Sukhanin 2004. A brief account of men of letters, poets and Sufis, in particular of the members of the Ashrafi clan residing in Kichaucha Sharif, is available in the preface of the book by Syed Waheed Ashraf entitled Rubai Vol. I. Syed Abdul Hai Ashraf who was Sajjada Nasheen residing in Baskhari was also a physician and a poet and had published his compositions. He used the penname 'Hosh'. The poetic compositions in the early days were largely confined to the genre of 'Naat' and 'Manqabat'. But in recent times poets like Syed Amin Ashraf, and Syed Waheed Ashraf have tried their hands at other forms like Ghazal, Nazm, Rubai, Qaseeda and Masnavi.
Hayate Makhdoom Syed Ashraf Jahangir Semnani by Syed Waheed Ashraf Second Ed. , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
Sahaife Ashrafi by Syed Ali Husain Ashrafi
Tasawwuf Part I by Syed Waheed Ashraf, reprint , Maktaba Jamia Ltd, Shamshad Market, Aligarh 202002, India
Life and Times of Makhdoom Ashraf Jahangir Semnani by Dr. Syed Nurusyyidyn Madani Ashraf, Amazon
Books on Ashrafi family works
Hazrat Maulana Syed Shah Abdul Hai Hosh Ashrafi- Hayaat Aur Shairi, by Dr. Kaazim Hashmi, Pages 224, Published by Maktaba Faizan Syed Shah Abdul Hai Ashraf o Fakhrul Masahikh, Baskhari, AmbedkarNagar, 2014
Dr. Syed Waheed Ashraf Ki Rubai Nigari by Dr. Azhar Alam, published with the financial assistance from the Fakhruddin Ali Memorial Committee, Govt. of Uttar Pradesh in 2002
