Born Muhammad Shaukat Ali, his father's name was Abdul Rashid. He was born and settled in Calcutta. He studied at Madrasa Darul Quran, Calcutta, and later became engaged as a teacher. He was immensely fond of composing quatrains and Manqabat right from his student days. He used to take Islaah from Habib Hashmi. His poetry is predominantly Sufistic in nature.