He grew up and studied in Samarra, under his cousin Sayyed Agha Ali al-Shirazi (son of Mirza Shirazi; d. 1936) and his wife's maternal uncle Mirza Muhammad-Taqi al-Shirazi. He then moved to Najaf in 1908, to complete his religious education. He studied under greats such as Sheikh Fathallah al-Isfahani, Sheikh Muhammad-Kadhim al-Khorasani, Sheikh Muhammad-Hussain al-Naini and Sheikh Dhiya' al-Din al-Iraqi. He then returned to Samarra in 1912, to study again under his Agha Ali and Mirza Taqi. He then left Samarra for Karbala with Mirza Taqi, who was preparing for the Iraqi revolt. He remained in Karbala for a while, then returned to Najaf in 1918, resuming his classes with Sheikh al-Isfahani.