Sher Ali was born to a well off and educated Zamindar family that was part of the RanjhaJattribe. He was the son of Maulvi Nizam ud Din. His mother died on 7 March 1907. A daughter of Sher Ali, with the name Khadija Beguum wrote his short biography Seerat Hadrat Maulvi Sher Ali. Sher Ali did his B.A. in 1897.