Khan lahir pada 15 July 1914 di Agra. Ia termasuk dalam empat putra dan tiga putri dari pasangan Khansaahib Ameer Ahmed Khan dan Mehmoodah Begum.[2] Ayahnya, seorang inspektur polisi, yang terinspirasi dengan pemikiran reformis Syed Ahmed Khan. Pada usia awalnya, ibu Khan mengenalkannya dengan puisi Maulana Hali dan Muhammad Iqbal, kotbah-kotbah Abul Kalam Azad, dan filsafat SufiRumi.
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