S. V. Mir Ahmed Ali was born on 15 July 1902 in Madras, British India. He was born into a family whose paternal ancestors were descendants from the Fourth Holy Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin, who called themselves Sajjadis. Originally from Hejaz, they migrated to India through Iran and settled down at Bijapur. His great-grandfather Mir Abdul Ali Sajjadi served as a commander in the Mughal Army and earned the distinction with the title Vafakhani for his loyalty to the crown. Thereafter, the members of his family became popular as Sajjadi Vafakhani.